The Traveling Wonder
by HobbitsizedWhovian
Summary: An Average Whovian has her life turned upside down when she is sucked into the world of her favorite tv show. Join Elena as she travels through time and space with the Doctor and discovers things about herself she never thought possible. (Story is hopefully better than summary. Rated T cause I'm paranoid. Cover by the wonderful queenofmud Currently being edited by LilactheDrad.)
1. Prologue

**Welcome readers! I've been wanting to write a story for a while now and I finally started! I've already gotten a few chapters in, but I want to see what the reviews are like before I post any more. Please review and let me know your thoughts, comments, concerns, and advice on how to make this chapter and future chapters better. The rating may change later. If at any time anyone feels like the rating need to be changed, please let me know. When reviewing, please keep in mind this is my first fanfiction story. I would really appreciate any advice anyone can offer to make my story better, but please, be nice.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. I only own my oc. Edited by Formusan.**

* * *

 _Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_

"Alright. Alright. I'm coming." I told the microwave. I opened the door, grabbed the bag of popcorn, and poured it into a bowl I had pulled out earlier. Opening the fridge, I fished out a can of coke and plopped onto the couch with my dinner. Now, since it was Friday I would normally be having pizza, but my roommate was out visiting her parents and told me that under no circumstances was I to have pizza without her. It took a while to get used to not living at home, but being 22 year old college student, I had to learn sooner or later. I'm a senior at VA Tech and working on my bachelor's degree in Animal and Poultry sciences. I have been fascinated with horses ever since I was little and have always wanted to pursue a career with them. Anyway, I searched around for the tv remote and grinned triumphantly when I finally located it hidden underneath a blanket. I turned on Netflix and went to my recently watched which consisted of only one show. Doctor Who. I had only gotten into Doctor Who within the last couple of years. I sat down with my dad while he watched the first season, but couldn't get into it. That is until he got to season 2. Pinteresting was a favorite pastime of mine and I had often come across Doctor Who pins. I noticed that the tenth Doctor seemed to be a fan favorite. So, when my dad finally got to season 2, I decided to give the popular sci-fi show a second chance. I was hooked within two episodes. I later went back and finished the first season, so don't worry, I didn't skip nine. I flipped through the episodes for a couple minutes before deciding to start with the first episode of season 1.

"Dun dun dun. Dun dun dun. Dun dun dun. Dun dun dun. Dooooweeeeooooooooh!" I sang along with the theme song. I grinned as I watched the Doctor grab Rose's hand and whisper run. I giggled as Jackie Tyler attempted to seduce the Doctor while he remained oblivious to her intentions. I sighed as I watched Rose kiss her boyfriend Mikey on the forehead and run into the TARDIS.

"Oh, Doctor. Why can't you be real?" I let out another sigh out of both exhaustion and the fangirlish hope that I could travel with the Doctor. I watched a few more episodes before falling asleep on the couch.

 **Third person POV**

The tv suddenly switched from playing _Dalek_ , to _Rose_. The screen then went white, and its pale white glow enveloped the whole room. When the light faded, all that was left was a crushed Coke can, empty popcorn bowl, and an equally empty couch.

 **Elena POV**

I awoke to the feeling of the sun on my face, but didn't open my eyes. I could hear birds singing in the background. I felt a little chilled so I rolled over onto my side and curled up in an attempt to get warm. I felt something tickle my nose, but when I reached up to scratch it my hand brushed up against something that was definitely not the fabric of my couch. My eyes shot open and green filled my vision. I sat up.

"What in the world!" I muttered to myself. Grass. I was sitting on grass. I looked around and felt my stomach sink. I was definitely no longer in my apartment living room. As far as I could tell, I wasn't even in Blacksburg, VA anymore. I didn't know where I was. I stood up and brushed myself off. I sighed in frustration when I realized I was still in my minion pajamas and gray horse hoodie. I wasn't even wearing shoes.

"Excuse me," I said nervously, walking up to a nearby elderly couple.

"What can we help you with, dearie?" The old man asked.

"I was wondering if you could tell me where I am. I had a bit of a wild night last night," I told him sheepishly. ' _If you count staying up 'til 2'0'clock in the morning watching Doctor Who reruns as wild._ '

"I'll say," replied the old woman smiling at me good naturedly. "You're in London, sweetheart."

My eyes widened. "Oh," my voice rising slightly in my surprise. How on earth had I gotten to London?

"You okay, dear?" The old man asked gently, eyeing me with concern. "Do you need us to call someone?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm fine. Thank you." I forced a smile and walked away. I paced throughout the park's lush trails for a while, thinking hard. I know I had fallen asleep on my couch last night, so how did I wind up here? As I tried to come up with some logical explanation, I failed to watch where I was going and smacked straight into something.

"Ow," I muttered from my place on the ground and gingerly rubbed my sore nose. I froze mid rub when I saw what I had bumped into. It was a blue police box. ' _Okay, they must have a replica of the TARDIS. Well, why not. Doctor Who is really popular in Britain anyway_ ,' I told myself. I walked around to the front, running my fingers along the blue wooden exterior. I came to a stop in front of the door and I my eyes found the 'Pull to Open' sign I've seen so many time. I reached out a hand to its door. My eyes widened as I heard a soft click.

"No way," I muttered. I looked around and, satisfied that no one was around, poked my head in. My jaw dropped. Instead of a cramped, wooden interior, I was met with the TARDIS console room. I quickly pulled my head back out and examined the sides of the blue box. There was nothing behind it except for its wooden back. I walked inside completely and closed the door. I stared in awe at the sight before me. The show didn't do the TARDIS justice. The console room was HUGE. Coral beams ran the perimeter around the console that stood in the center of the room. It was covered with all sorts of buttons and levers that I couldn't even begin to think about what they did. The glossy, cyan time rotor in the center hummed in a gentle, almost welcoming, rhythm.

"It really is bigger on the inside," I all but whispered, trying very hard to contain a fangirlish scream. I was so focused on admiring the room I had only ever seen on tv to see that I didn't hear the door open and close.

"Who are you?!" A loud voice demanded, causing me to jump nearly a foot in the air. I spun around and my jaw dropped. Standing on the other side of the console was the ninth Doctor in his familiar burgundy shirt and worn, black leather jacket. I opened and closed my mouth, too shocked to say anything. "Who are you and how did you get into my TARDIS?" The Doctor repeated.

"Y-you're the Doctor," I stuttered quiet disbelief.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "And how do you know that?" he asked suspiciously. I slowly approached him, the Doctor eyes following my every move. Very slowly, I reached out a finger and gently poked him in the chest.

I let out a gasp. "You're real. This is real. I'm really here. But how? How can I be here? This isn't supposed to be real. This is supposed to be nothing more than a story!" I exclaimed, my voice rising with each passing second.

"Enough!" The Doctor shouted. I quickly fell silent and looked up at him, fear showing in my turquoise eyes. "Right, start from the beginning. What do you mean I'm real, course I'm real? And why did you say that this is supposed to be a story?" the Doctor demanded.

I swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat. "Well, it's kind of complicated. You probably wouldn't even believe me," I said nervously.

"Try me," he replied with an impatient glare.

I sighed, not entirely sure how to go about explaining myself without sounding insane. "Well, you see, I'm not exactly from here. Where I come, you are a fictional character in a sci-fi tv show. The show follows you and your various companions on your travels throughout the time and space."

The Doctor stared at me. "So, you're telling me you're from an alternate dimension where me and my travels are a fictional show?" he asked incredulously.

"...yes," I replied tentatively, cringing slightly at the waver in my voice.

He crossed his arms and glared at me challengingly. "Prove it."

"Well, I know you're a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey," I began. "You are currently in your ninth body. I know that TARDIS stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space and that she is alive and has changed desktop themes about as often as you have bodies. You stole her and have been traveling time and space ever since. You also pick up companions who travel with you." I looked at him apprehensively.

"Okay, let's say I believe you," he said, still looking at me distrustfully. "How did you get here?"

I sighed again, playing with my suddenly interesting strawberry blonde braided hair. "I don't know. All I know is that I fell asleep on my couch while watching the show and the next thing I know, I'm waking up in the middle of London."

"How did you get into the TARDIS? You would have needed a key to get in."

"She unlocked the doors for me," I told him.

The Doctor blinked in surprise. "She just unlocked her doors for you?" He asked in disbelief.

I nodded. "Yup."

"That's definitely a first," he mumbled quietly.

"Hey, I'm just as surprised as you are," I said, holding up my hands in a defensive manner. "I certainly never would have expected her to open for me. Then again I never expected to wind up in the Whoniverse anyway."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Whoniverse?"

"It's what fanfiction writers call the Doctor Who universe," I explained.

"So not only did they make a show, but people write stories too?" He asked incredulously.

I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck embarrassingly. "You have no idea."

"And I don't think I want to," he added.

"Probably not," I agreed. We were quiet for a moment before the Doctor spoke again.

"You said this show follows my travels, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "From your first regeneration all the way to at least one season into your twelfth regeneration."

"So, you know my past and future then," he stated.

"Well, a good portion of the future anyway. I'm sure there are adventures you go on that aren't in the show. I never did get around to the classic episodes, which includes your first regeneration up until your eighth," I told him.

The Doctor shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "So…does that mean you know about the war?" he asked slowly.

I smiled softly at him. "Yes, I know about the Time War. Not the details mind you, but I know what you had to do and I don't blame you," I told him softly, placing my hands on his arms. "You did what you had to do. You had no other choice. It was either destroy the Daleks along with your people or the entire universe would be destroyed." He relaxed and after closing his eyes for a moment, opened them and grinned at me.

"Well then," he said running around the console, pulling series of levers and buttons. "Where do you want to go?"

My eyes widened. "Wait, you're taking me with you?"

"Of course. Can't have you wandering around London with all that foreknowledge, now can we?" The Doctor said, pulling another lever.

"No, I guess not," I replied, grinning.

"By the way, I don't think I caught your name."

"That's cause I didn't give it to you," I sassed. "It's Elena, Elena Jackson."

"Well, Elena Jackson, welcome to the TARDIS." And with that he pulled one final lever and the familiar wheezing of the TARDIS engines filled to console room as we spiraled into the Time Vortex.

* * *

 **First chapter is done! Please review.  
**


	2. Rose

**Hello fellow readers! Here's chapter 2. Something that I didn't say last time, I want to thank all the writers on this site whose stories I've read and will continue to read for inspiring me to write my own. I don't like to write, but I have been enjoying writing this story. I'm currently in the process of editing my chapters. Please review.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but my oc. Edited by Formusan.**

* * *

"So where are we going today," I asked the Doctor as I entered the console room. It had been a week since the Doctor invited me to travel with him and suffice it to say I was loving every moment. I was currently dressed in an off-shoulder gray sweater over top of a black tank top. I wore a pair of dark skinny jeans and finished the off with a pair of black, fold over, lace up, combat boots. My strawberry blonde hair was tied in its usual over the shoulder braid.

The Doctor glanced up at me. "I was thinking Cardiff, 2005," he replied.

"Why Cardiff? There are plenty of planets out there," I questioned.

"I've been tracking an unusual signal for a couple of days now. The TARDIS finally found the point of origin."

I raised an eyebrow. "And that point of origin is in Cardiff?"

"Yup," he said, grinning.

"Well what are we waiting for? To Cardiff, 2005." I grinned. I was positively buzzing with excitement. This was it. The show was about to begin.

We landed and the Doctor stepped out. "So where exactly is the signal coming from?" I questioned, closing the TARDIS door behind me. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pressed the button. I smiled as I watched him move the screwdriver around, looking for the signal with his usual curious stare. I had nearly squealed out loud when I first saw it. We had been running from a group of aliens (par for the course when you're with the Doctor), and he had pulled out the sonic screwdriver to unlock a door blocking our path. I was practically bouncing up and down with excitement at finally seeing the Doctor's trusty screwdriver.

"Hah!" The Doctor exclaimed triumphantly, breaking me from my thoughts. "It's this way." He took off down the street and I bolted to catch up with him. We wound up outside a large building with the words 'Henrick's Department Store' in big letters on the front. "The signals coming from the roof," the Doctor said, titling his head back to look at the building.

"Well, the store's closed, so I guess we should take the back way in," I suggested, pointing towards the closed sign on the front door.

"Right, follow me." The Doctor headed around the back side of the building while I followed close behind. I smiled to myself. I was finally going to meet Rose. She wasn't my favorite companion, but she has her moments and winds up meaning a lot to the Doctor. I wondered how my presence here was going to affect their relationship. We found the back door after encountering some bold pigeons' nest. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and unlocked the door. We slipped inside and looked around. It was your typical department store basement; Boxes were piled high against the walls and racks of different articles of clothing were scattered throughout. The Doctor glanced around, looking for a door to lead us to the roof. He walked over to an olive green door and opened it. The room was cluttered with all sorts of different equipment, but that wasn't what got our attention. A pair of legs stuck out from behind one of the shelves.

I brought a hand to my mouth as tears filled my eyes. "I'm sorry," I said softly.

The Doctor closed the door to the electric room and looked at me with concern. "You alright?" He asked me.

"I'll be fine," I replied, wiping my eyes with my sleeve. He didn't look convinced, but decided to drop it. It had never bothered me while watching the show when the Doctor told Rose that Wilson was dead, but actually seeing it in real life was different. I shook my head, bringing myself back to the present and quickly followed the Doctor. We continued searching for a way to the roof when I heard a noise off to my left and turned my head to look. "Doctor," I said quietly, staring at a mannequin that had started to move.

The Doctor turned to look at me. "What?" I pointed towards the moving dummy. "Oh," was all he said before he grabbed my hand and took off in the opposite direction of the dummy. A familiar voice, at least to me, shouting caused us to stop dead.

"Is that someone mucking about? Who is it?" The voice demanded. It was Rose.

The Doctor groaned. "Of course some ape had to pick now of all times to come down here. Come on, better go rescue her." We ran in the direction of Rose's voice.

We rounded a corner and heard Rose yell, "Is it Derek's? Is it? Derek, is this you?"

"Stay here," the Doctor told me and ran through a door before I could protest. I heard him say "run" before he and Rose came bolting back through the door and past me. We ran down the dimly lit hallway, doing our best to stay out of the way of the dummies. We finally made it to the elevator and I slammed my hand on the up button. The doors began to close, but one of the mannequins stuck its arm in the way, preventing the door from closing. The Doctor and I then grabbed hold of the arm and with a few good tugs, managed to pull the arm free of the door.

"You pulled his arm off!" Rose exclaimed, disgusted.

"Yup," I replied, tossing her the plastic arm and grinning. She flinched, but caught it nonetheless.

"Very clever. Nice trick. Who were they then, students? Is this a student thing or what?" Rose demanded, looking between the Doctor and I.

"Why would they be students?" The Doctor asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the elevator wall.

"I don't know," Rose replied.

"Well, you said it. Why students?" I asked.

"'Cos to get that many people dressed up and being silly, they got to be students," Rose stated.

I nodded my head. "You've got a point there," I told her.

"That makes sense. Well done," the Doctor congratulated.

Rose smiled at him. "Thanks."

"They're not students," the Doctor stated, causing Rose's smile to falter.

"Whoever they are, when Wilson finds them, he's going to call the police," Rose said, frowning.

"Who's Wilson?" The Doctor asked.

"Chief electrician."

"Sorry but, Wilson's dead," I told her sadly. The elevator dinged and the Doctor got out first, followed by me and then Rose, who was still holding the plastic arm.

"That's not funny. That's sick!" Rose cried indignantly.

"Never said it was funny," I muttered.

"Hold on. Mind your eyes," the Doctor warned, pulling out his sonic screwdriver.

"I've had enough of this now," Rose declared, exasperated. I rolled my eyes at her. Did she seriously still think this was a joke? The Doctor pointed his screwdriver at the elevator and activated it, causing sparks to fly from the control panel. "Who are you then? Who's that lot down there? I said, who are they?" Rose practically shouted, trailing after the Doctor and I as we jogged down the hallway.

"They're made of plastic. Living plastic creatures," I told her, moving aside a plastic curtain that hung in the way.

"They're being controlled by a relay device on the roof, which would be a real problem if we didn't have this," the Doctor explained, pulling a small bomb out of his pocket. I found out early on that his pockets were bigger on the inside. Who knew he could hold that many bananas in his pockets. I mean, I knew he had a thing for bananas, but you would have thought he was packing for an army of monkeys. "So we're going up there and blowing them up, and we might well die in the process, but don't worry about us. No, you go home." He shoved her out the door. "Go on. Go have your lovely beans on toast." I made a face at that comment. "Don't tell anyone about this, because if you do, you'll get them killed." And with that he slammed the door shut. I raised an eyebrow at him. "What?" He asked.

I gestured towards the door. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Right," he said and opened the door again to reveal Rose still standing there. "I'm the Doctor and this is Elena, by the way. What's your name?"

"Rose."

"Nice to meet you, Rose. Now, run for your life," he said, waving the bomb again and grinning like a maniac before slamming the door. He turned towards me. "Happy?" He asked sassily.

I put my hands on my hips. "Yes. Now I believe we have a bomb to place?"

"Right." He ran across the roof. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, but smiled anyway and took off after the Doctor. We high tailed it out of the store once the Doctor had armed the bomb.

 **BOOM!**

The resulting shockwave nocked us to the ground. Pieces of debris rained down around us as we looked back up at our masterpiece. "You alright?" The Doctor questioned, looking me over for any signs of injury.

"Head, arms, body, feet, legs. Yup, I'm good," I replied, checking over each body part as I named them. The Doctor rolled his eyes and held out a hand. Grinning, I accepted his hand and he pulled me to my feet. We walked back to the TARDIS. "Hello, sexy," I greeted cheerfully as I skipped into the TARDIS.

' _Hello, Elena_ ,' the TARDIS hummed in my mind. She had startled me the first time she talked to me. Just like now, I had said hello. I had expected a simple hum in reply, but instead had gotten a mental reply. I told the Doctor and he was surprised, as she had never done that to anyone before, not even him.

"Right, I'm going to take a shower and head to bed," I decided. "Night, Doctor."

"Night, Elena." The Doctor replied.

I walked down the hall till I came to my room. I smiled as I saw my name written on the door. Once in English and again in Gallifreyan. I lightly traced the Gallifreyan lettering with my finger before opening the door. The TARDIS had designed my room to be like the one I had when I still lived with my parents, before I had gone off to college. The realization that I couldn't see my family again hit me hard. The Doctor had been showing me my room when I just broke down in front of him. It was rather embarrassing, and I don't think the Doctor knew what to do. He had just sat on the bed next to me, patting my back rather awkwardly as I cried. I had managed to pull myself together just long enough to say goodnight and waited till he left the room to start crying again. I wound up crying myself to sleep that night. White carpet covered the floor and the walls where a sky blue. Several horse pictures covered the walls, some I had done myself, others I had found in a calendar, and one my sister had painted for me. Two barn shaped shelves filled with the horse figurines I had collected over the years hung on either side of my bed. A queen sized bed sat in the middle of the room. The shelf headboard held more of my figurines along with my alarm clock. I walked over to the dresser that stood in one corner of my room and pulled out the minion pajamas I had arrived in, which consisted of a yellow, V-neck, short-sleeved shirt with a minion on the front and a pair of pants covered with several different minions. I padded into the bathroom a hopped in the shower. After I was clean, I pulled on my pajamas and brushed my hair, being careful to remove all the tangles. I tossed my dirty clothes into the hamper the TARDIS had provided and proceeded to brush and floss my teeth. When I was done, I pulled back the covers to my bed and climbed in. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, listening to the quiet hum of the TARDIS.

The next morning, I entered the console room wearing a black t-shirt with a Captain America shield on it. "Got another signal," the Doctor said from the console without looking up. "It's weak, but I tracked it to the Powell Estate."

"Let's go then," I said smiling at him. Time to go get attacked by a murderous plastic arm. The Doctor pulled a lever, starting the TARDIS's engines. After we landed, we walked up to the building and started climbing the stairs, the Doctor scanning the air with his sonic screwdriver periodically. We had just gone up another flight of stairs when the Doctor turned down the hall and started examining the doors as we passed. I would have told him which flat it was, but I couldn't remember which flat Rose lived in. He stopped outside one and knelt down in front of it. He poked at the cat flap, but frowned when it didn't move. "Maybe, they nailed it shut," I suggested, watching him as he continued to poke at the flap.

"Why would they nail it shut?" The Doctor asked glancing up at me.

"To keep out strays?" I shrugged. He activated the screwdriver and we heard the faint sound of nails hitting the floor on the other side. "Told you," I said smugly, smirking. The Doctor ignored me and poked at the flap again, this time actually being able to move it to see into the flat. He suddenly stood up as the door flew open.

"What are you doing here?" The Doctor asked, surprised to see Rose standing in the doorway.

"I live here," Rose replied, staring at the Doctor and I.

"Well, what do you do that for?"

"Because I do. I'm only at home because someone blew up my job," she snapped, glaring at the Doctor.

I winced. "Sorry about that," I apologized.

"Must have got the wrong signal," The Doctor muttered as he pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and smacked it on his hand a couple times. "You're not plastic, are you?" The Doctor reached forward and knocked on Rose's forehead. "No, bonehead. Bye, then." He grabbed my hand and started to walk off, but Rose had other ideas.

She reached out and snatched the Doctor's wrist. "You two. Inside. Right now." She tugged the Doctor and I into the flat and shut the door behind us.

"Who is it?" Jackie called from her room. I suppressed a giggle, remembering what was about to happen. This was going to be good.

"It's about last night," Rose lied. "They're part of the inquiry. Give us ten minutes." She walked past the Doctor and I.

"She deserves compensation," Jackie called from her room. I walked past the Doctor and stood on the other side of the bedroom door, just out of Jackie's line of vision. There was no way I was going to miss seeing this.

The Doctor paused in the doorway. "Oh. We're talking millions," he replied distractedly, glancing over his shoulder to see where Rose had got to.

Jackie looked around and noticed the Doctor standing in the doorway of her bedroom. She stood up and cleared her throat. "I'm in my dressing gown," she stated matter of factually.

The Doctor looked back at her. "Yes, you are," he replied.

"There's a strange man in my bedroom," Jackie continued, playing with the tie that held her dressing gown closed.

"Yes, there is," the Doctor said, not seeming to get what Jackie was insinuating. I brought a hand to my mouth to suppress another giggle, causing the Doctor to glance at me out of the corner of his eye.

Jackie paused for a moment. "Well, anything could happen," she finished, twirling slightly from side to side.

The Doctor apparently finally understood her intentions as he seemed to think about it for a second, then pulled a face, and replied, "No," and walked past me into the living room. I giggled quietly to myself. He shot me a glare and I grinned at him cheekily.

"Don't mind the mess," Rose said attempting to clean up the clutter scattered around the room. "Do you want coffee?"

"Might as well, thanks. Just milk," the Doctor replied.

"I'm good, thanks," I said, knowing I wouldn't get to drink any with the pending arrival of the plastic arm.

"We should go to the police. Seriously, all three of us." Rose started as she began to make her and the Doctor coffee.

The Doctor looked around the room and spotted a magazine laying on the coffee table. He picked it up a read the cover. "That won't last. He's gay and she's and alien," he muttered quietly. I sat down on the arm of one of the chairs, tuning Rose out as I watched the Doctor.

"I'm not blaming you, even if it was just some joke that went wrong," Rose continued, unaware that no one was actually listening.

The Doctor picked up a book and flipped through the pages. "Hmm. Sad ending," the Doctor sighed, placing the book on the coffee table.

"They said on the news they found a body."

"Rose Tyler," the Doctor read from a piece of mail he grabbed from the table.

I snatched it from him and set it back on the table. "It's rude to look through the people's mail, you know," I scolded him.

He ignored me and instead turned to the mirror hanging on the wall. "Ah, could've been worse. Look at the ears," he complained, flicking the oversized appendages in question.

I walked up to him and put my arm on his shoulder, which was somewhat difficult seeing as he was 6' and I was only 5'2. "I think they give you character," I told him.

The Doctor looked at me. "Really?" He asked.

"Yeah," I confirmed, smiling. The Doctor grinned back.

He turned around a picked a pack of cards. "Luck be a lady," he sang as he attempted to shuffle the cards. I let out a snort as the cards went flying everywhere. The Doctor glared at me halfheartedly. "Maybe not," he decided. Both the Doctor and I turned around at the sound of the cat flap rattling. "Have you got a cat?" he asked, but I knew full well what the answer was.

"No," she replied, still occupied with making coffee. The Doctor went over to the couch to investigate the noise.

I grabbed his arm to stop him. "Doctor, I wouldn't do-" I was cut off by the plastic arm launching itself at me and attaching to my neck. I stumbled back as the arm gripped my neck tightly, cutting off my air supply. The Doctor attempted to pull it off, but the arm simply tightened its grip. I gasped, trying to get air into my lungs. My heart pounded as I started panicking.

Rose came in from the kitchen with a mug in each hand. "I told Mickey to chuck that out," she said glancing at the Doctor and I struggling to remove the arm from my neck. "Anyway, I don't even know your names. Elena and Doctor, what was it?" The Doctor and I finally managed to pry the hand off my neck and flung it across the room where it stopped in midair and proceeded to attach itself to Rose's face. The Doctor rushed over to help Rose while I coughed as I drew in gaping breaths, filling my aching, oxygen starved lungs with precious air. Once I had managed to catch my breath somewhat, I scrambled to help the Doctor and Rose. Rose was standing against the wall while the Doctor pulled on the arm. I grabbed hold of the arm and tugged. Unfortunately, the Doctor and I's combined weight pulled Rose off balance and all three of us toppled over, crashing into the coffee table. I winced slightly as a piece of glass cut my arm. Jackie couldn't hear anything going on as over the constant roar of her hair dryer.

With a final tug, the Doctor pulled the plastic arm off and quickly deactivated it with his sonic screwdriver. "It's alright, I've stopped it. There, you see? Armless," he said, triumphantly waving the arm in Rose's face.

She snatched the killer plastic arm. "You think?" She then proceeded to hit him in the arm with it.

"Ow!" The Doctor yelped. He rubbed the spot where Rose hit him as I laughed. He glared at me. The Doctor snatched the arm back from Rose and offered me a hand. I smiled and took it and followed him out the door. Rose quickly grabbed her jacket and dashed after us.

"Hold on!" She yelled as she followed us down the stairs. "You can't just go swanning off."

"Yes, we can," the Doctor retorted, "Here we are. This is us swanning off. See you."

"But that arm was moving. It tried to kill me!" Rose cried indignantly.

"You're just a regular Sherlock Holmes, aren't you?" I quipped sarcastically.

"You can't just walk away! That's not fair! You got to tell me what's going on!" Boy, she sure was stubborn.

"No, we don't," the Doctor said. We reached the bottom of the stairs and began walking down the street.

"Alright then," she started. "I'll got to the police. I'll tell everyone. You said if I did that I would get people killed. So, your choice. Tell me, or I'll start talking."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "That would go over well. That's right, officer, I was attacked by a shop window dummies," I said mockingly. "You'd be institutionalized." Rose pointedly ignored me and kept her eyes on the Doctor.

"Is that supposed to sound tough?" The Doctor inquired.

"Sort of."

"Doesn't work."

"Who are you?" She asked.

"I told you. I'm the Doctor and this is Elena." The Doctor said, gesturing to me.

"Hello!" I said, waving happily at her.

"Yeah, but Doctor what?"

I pouted. "I like it when they say Doctor who," I muttered.

"Just the Doctor," the Doctor replied with a small shrug.

"The Doctor," Rose repeated skeptically.

"Hello!" the Doctor said cheerfully, waving at her.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to sound impressive?"

"Sort off," he replied, still grinning. Since force wasn't working, Rose switched to a different tactic.

"Come on, then. You can tell me," she said softly, still walking next to the Doctor. "I've seen enough. Are you police?" I smiled at that, thinking back to the TARDIS and what she was disguised as.

"No, we were just passing through," the Doctor replied. "We're a long way from home."

"But what have I done wrong? How come those plastic things keep coming after me?" Rose questioned.

"Oh, suddenly the entire world revolves around you. You were just and accident. You got in the way, that's all." The Doctor retorted.

I smacked his arm. "Rude," I scolded.

"It tried to kill me," Rose pointed out angrily.

"It was after us, not you," I told her.

"Last night, in the shop, we were there, you blunder in, almost ruined the whole thing," the Doctor told her. I smacked him again, but he ignored me and continued. "This morning, we were tracking it down, it was tracking us down. The only reason it fixed on you is 'cos you've met us."

"So, what you saying is, the entire world revolves around you," Rose said sarcastically.

"Sort of, yeah." He replied grinning.

"You're full of it!" Rose laughed.

I laughed too. "Yeah, he is." The Doctor mock glared at me, causing me to grin cheekily at him.

"But, all this plastic stuff. Who else knows about it?"

"Just us," I replied.

"What you're on your own?" Rose asked incredulously.

"Who else is there?" The Doctor asked. "I mean, you lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed, and watch telly, while all the time, underneath you, there's a war going on."

"Okay. Start from the beginning," Rose said, snatching the plastic arm from the Doctor's grip. "I mean if we're going to go with the living plastic, and I don't believe that, but if we do, how do we kill it?"

"The thing controlling it projects life into the arm." The Doctor explained. "I cut off the signal, dead."

"So that's radio control?"

"Thought control," I corrected. "You okay?"

"Yeah. So, who's controlling it then?" Rose inquired.

"Long story," the Doctor replied.

"But, what's it all for? I mean, the shop window dummies, what's that about? Is someone trying to take over Britain's shops?"

"No," I laughed.

"No," Rose agreed, also laughing.

"It's not a price war," the Doctor chuckled and "Price Tag" by Jessie J. popped into my head. The Doctor then turned serious. "They want to overthrow the human race and destroy you. Do you believe me?"

"No"

"You're still listening," I pointed out.

"Really, though, Doctor. Tell me, who are you?" Rose called as she had stopped walking.

The Doctor turned to look at her. "Do you know like we were saying, about the earth revolving?" The Doctor asked. "It's like when you're a kid, the first time they tell you that the world is turning and you just can't quite believe it 'cause everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it..." He reached down and grabbed her hand while I stood off to the side awkwardly, taking the time to inspect the cut I received from falling into the coffee table. "The turn of the earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour. The entire planet is hurtling around the sun at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour. And I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world. And, if we let go..." The Doctor released Rose's hand, allowing it to fall to her side. "That's who I am. Now, forget us Rose Tyler." He reached out and grabbed the plastic arm from her. "Go home." He turned around and walked back towards me. He grabbed my hand as he passed and gently tugged me towards the TARDIS. He pulled out his key and unlocked the door, pulling me inside. He set the arm on the jump seat, pressed a few buttons, and sent us into the Time Vortex. He was quiet for a moment before turning to me. He held out his hand. "Let me see your arm," he said. I held out my arm for him and he inspected the cut carefully.

"Will I live, Doc?" I asked in mock concern.

The Doctor looked up from his inspection. "Well, good news is, we won't have to amputate it," he joked. "But I will need to clean and bandage it so it won't get infected. Come on." He took my hand and led me down the hall to the med bay. The med bay was a decent sized room with pristine, glossy walls of bright white. It reminded me of a hospital, but nicer. A row of six beds lined one wall, each with its own set of monitors. On another wall stood a set of cupboards containing various medical supplies, some from earth and some not. The Doctor sat me on the bed closest to the cupboards and proceeded to pull out supplies. He turned around with some cleaning wipes, gauze, medical wrap, and a strange smelling, pale green cream. He placed the supplies on the bed next to me and picked up the wipes. I winced as the alcohol from the wipes stung my cut. The Doctor muttered a quiet 'sorry' before continuing in his task. "There you go," he said, patting my knee to signal he was done.

I grinned and jumped down from the bed, ready to continue the adventure. "Right, now what?" I asked, following him back to the console room with childish glee.

The Doctor picked up the plastic arm and began plugging it into the console. "I'm going to try and find the origin of the signal." I plopped myself down in the jump seat and watched as he dashed around the console to push a series of buttons. After of few minutes he groaned in frustration.

"What is it?" I questioned.

"The arm is to primitive. I can't get a lock on," he sighed. "We'll have to find something better."

"Would a head work?"

"Yeah, but I don't know where we'll find another living plastic. It's not like I can dictate when and where the signal is transported," he replied.

"And I thought you knew everything." I teased. He shot me an unamused look. "It's a good thing I'm here, then. It just so happens that a certain Rose Tyler is having lunch at a pizza place with her boyfriend."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly does that help?" He asked skeptically. "I'm not exactly interested in what Rose is currently doing."

I smiled. "Well, it just so happens that her boyfriend has been turned into plastic."

The Time Lord blinked. "Oh, that does help."

"Thought so," I said, smiling cheekily.

"Right then," the Doctor said, pulling a lever, "let's go say hello."

We landed at the back of the restaurant and walked inside. The staff watched us pass with raised eyebrows. When we got to the main dining area the Doctor grabbed a bottle of champagne. "Right you stay here and I'll go get the plastic." I nodded in understanding. He waltzed over to the table where Rose and her plastic boyfriend sat.

"You can tell me anything," plastic Mickey was saying. "Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning and I can help you, Rose. Because that's all I really want to do sweetheart, babe, babe, sugar, sweetheart." As plastic Mickey talked, he twitched violently and his voice changed with every word. I shook my head in disbelief. How could Rose not see that he was obviously not her boyfriend?

"What're doing that for?" Rose inquired, staring concernedly at plastic Mickey.

"Your champagne," the Doctor announced, holding out the bottle to plastic Mickey.

"We didn't order any champagne. Where's the Doctor?" Plastic Mickey demanded.

"Madam, you champagne," the Doctor tried again, walking to Rose's side of the table.

Rose waved the Doctor off, too concerned with her strangely acting boyfriend to even look up. "It's not ours. Mickey, what is it? What's wrong?" Rose questioned, placing a hand over plastic Mickey's hand. Seriously, Rose?

"I need to find out how much you know, so where is he?" Plastic Mickey pressed.

"Doesn't anyone want this champagne?" The Doctor asked dejectedly.

Plastic Mickey rolled his eyes. "Look, we didn't order it." Annoyed, plastic Mickey looked up and his eyes widened when he saw the Doctor. "Ah! Gotcha!" He exclaimed, grinning.

The Doctor began vigorously shaking the champagne bottle. "Don't mind me. I'm just toasting the happy couple. On the house." The Doctor aimed the bottle at plastic Mickey and pulled the cork. The cork disappeared into plastic Mickey's forehead and Rose stared, horrified.

After a moment, plastic Mickey spit the cork out. "Anyway," he said. His hand morphed into a mallet and he smashed the table in half. The customers started screaming as the Doctor grabbed plastic Mickey by the head and gave it a few good tugs. Plastic Mickey's head came off with a pop and the Doctor stumbled back a few steps. Suddenly, the head's eyes shot open. "Don't think that's going to stop me," the head declared with a demented smile, causing the couple at the table next to the Doctor to scream. The body stood up and began smashing more tables.

"That's my cue," I mumbled, smashing the fire alarm next to me. "Everyone out!" I yelled. People screamed and fell over each other in their haste to get outside. "Come on!" I yelled at the Doctor. He ran after me, closely followed by Rose. We ran back through the kitchen, all the while the plastic body smashed and ran into things behind us. We made it out the back door and I helped the Doctor hold the door closed as he used the sonic screwdriver to lock the door. Rose ran over to a metal gate at the other end of the alley.

"Open the gate! Use that tube thing! Come on!" Rose panicked, rattling the locked chain link gate.

"Sonic screwdriver," I corrected.

"Use it!"

"Nah," the Doctor replied, strolling over to the TARDIS. "Let's go in here." I pulled out my TARDIS key and unlocked the door. Plastic Mickey banged even louder on the door.

"You can't hide inside a wooden box," Rose shouted. "It's going to get us! Doctor! Elena!" I heard Rose shake the gates again before she came running into the TARDIS. She took one look at the console room and ran back out. I chuckled, shaking my head. I heard the auton smash down the door just as Rose came bolting back inside. She looked around in disbelief. "It's going to follow us!"

The Doctor scoffed. "The assembled hordes of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door, and believe me they've tried."

"I'd like to hear the story behind that," I commented from my place in the jump seat.

"I'll have to tell you it sometime," the Doctor replied. "Now shut up a minute," he told Rose. He walked around the console and plugged several different wires into the plastic head. "You see, the arm was too simple, but the head is perfect. I can use it to trace the signal back to its original source. Right," the Doctor said as he finished wiring the head to the console. "Where do you want to start?"

"Er, the inside's bigger than the outside?" Rose said uncertainly.

"Yes," the Doctor replied, crossing his arms.

"It's alien."

"Yeah."

"Are you two aliens?" She asked us.

"Well, I'm not, but he is," I informed her, gesturing to myself then the Doctor.

"Is that alright?" The Doctor questioned.

"Yeah," Rose quickly affirmed.

"It's called the TARDIS, this thing. T. A. R. D. I. S. That's Time And Relative Dimension In Space," the Doctor told her. Rose brought a hand up to her mouth as she choked out a sob. I quickly jumped down from my perch and walked over to her, wrapping my arms around her in an attempt to comfort her. "That's okay. Culture shock. Happens to the best of us," the Doctor said nonchalantly. I sent him a glare.

"Did they kill him?" Rose asked furiously. "Mickey. Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?" I rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Oh, I didn't think of that," the Doctor said sheepishly. I rolled my eyes at him. After seeing all of time and space, he was still dense.

"He's my boyfriend. You pulled off his head. They copied him and you didn't even think? And now you just going to let him melt?" Rose yelled.

"Melt?" The Doctor looked at the head confusedly. The plastic head had begun to melt onto the console. Oops. Guess I forgot about that part. I hope the TARDIS wasn't too upset about melted plastic in her circuitry. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" He ran around the console and started pulling levers and pressing buttons.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked as she and I struggled to keep our balance. We gripped tightly to the railing as the TARDIS shook and pitched about.

"I'm following the signal," the Doctor replied. "It's fading. Wait a minute, I've got it. No, no, no, no, no, no! Almost there. Almost there. Here we go!" We landed with one final jolt and the Doctor and I ran out the door.

"You can't go out there. It's not safe!" Rose shouted after us. She ran out after us and paused to examine her surroundings with wide eyes.

"I lost the signal," the Doctor said dejectedly. I patted his arm comfortingly. "I got so close."

"We've moved," Rose stated. "Does it fly?"

"It disappears there and reappears here," I explained.

"If we're somewhere else, what about that headless thing? It's still on the loose." Rose said worriedly.

"Melted with the head," the Doctor dismissed. "Are you going to witter on all night?"

"Rude," I scolded, smacking his arm.

Rose ran a hand through her hair. "I'll have to tell his mother." The Doctor gave her a blank look. "Mickey. I'll have to tell his mother that he's dead and you just went and forgot him, again! Your right, you are alien." Rose spat angrily.

The Doctor glared at her. "Look if I did forget about some kid called Mickey-"

"Yeah, he's not a kid!"

"Doctor," I growled in warning, but he ignored me.

"It's because I'm trying to save the life of every stupid ape blundering on top of this planet, all right? The Doctor yelled.

"All right!"

"Yes, it is!"

"Please don't fight, kids," I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose at their childishness. The Doctor and Rose were silent for a moment.

"If you're alien, how come you sound like you're from the north?" Rose inquired.

"Lots of planets have a north," the Doctor stated indignantly.

"And where are you from?" Rose asked me. "You from America?"

"Yeah, Virginia," I told her, smiling at the memory of home. "Well, that's where I was living before I came here. I'm from a military family, so we moved all over the U.S."

"What's a police public call box?" Rose said while glancing at the TARDIS.

"It's a telephone box from the 1950s. It's a disguise," I answered with a loving smile for Sexy.

Rose nodded. "Okay, and this, this living plastic? What's it got against us?"

"Nothing. It loves you," the Doctor replied, "You've got such a good planet. Lots of smoke and oil. Plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air, perfect. Just what the Nestene Consciousness needs. Its food stock was destroyed in the war, all its protein plants rotted, so Earth, dinner." He mimed eating food.

"Any way of stopping it?" The blonde asked hopefully.

The Doctor held up a vial of blue liquid. "Anti-plastic."

"Anti-plastic," Rose repeated.

"Very original," I commented.

The Doctor once again ignored me. "Anti-plastic. But first I got to find it. How can you find something that big in a city this small?" He started pacing slowly.

"The transmitter," I explained to Rose, who looked completely lost. "The Consciousness is controlling every piece of plastic, so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal."

"What's it look like?" Rose asked.

"Like a transmitter." The Doctor replied.

"Yeah, that helps," I said sarcastically.

"Round and massive, slap bang in the middle of London," the Doctor clarified. "A huge circular metal structure like a dish, like a wheel. Radial. Close to where we're standing. Must be completely invisible." He stopped directly in front of the London Eye. I nudged Rose and gestured to it with my head. We both stared at the massive, _round_ ferris wheel. "What?" He questioned, looking between us. We raised our eyebrows, eyes still in the London Eye. The Doctor spun around trying to see what we were staring at. He turned back around not getting it. "What?" I gestured toward the London Eye with my head. He spun back around, but it still didn't click. "What is it? What?"

I started giggling. "You know, for someone who is so clever, you can be very dense sometimes," I told him, shaking my head. The Doctor turned back around and it finally seemed to click. "Penny in the air," I giggled.

"Oh." He spun back around, looked at the London Eye again, before facing us. "Fantastic," he said, grinning widely.

I laughed. "And the penny drops." The Doctor grabbed mine and Rose's hands and took off toward the London Eye. We stopped underneath the London Eye.

"Think of it, plastic all over the world, every artificial thing waiting to come to life. The shop window dummies, the phones, the wires, the cables," the Doctor said, turning around.

"The breast implants," Rose added, causing me to snort.

"Still, we found the transmitter," the Doctor continued, still looking around. "The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath."

I peeked over the railing and spotted a man hole cover. "Should we try there?" The Doctor looked to see where I was pointing.

"Looks good to me," the Doctor grinned. The Doctor, Rose, and I climbed down the ladder and the Doctor opened the cover.

"After you, time boy," I gestured to the hole.

The Doctor looked at me, furrowing his brows. "Time boy?" I simply shrugged. He shook his head and climbed down the hole followed by me and then Rose. Once we had reached the bottom, we walked over to the rusted railing and looked down to see the Nestene Consciousness churning in a vat. "The Nestene Consciousness, that's it inside the vat. A living plastic creature."

"Well, then, tip in your anti-plastic and let's go." Rose told him.

"We can't just kill it. We have to give it a chance, Rose," I informed her.

The Doctor walked onto the catwalk. "I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract according to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation," the Doctor addressed the churning plastic. The living plastic growled and churned in its vat. "Thank you. If I might have permission to approach?" The thing growled again and the Doctor and I walked down the catwalk.

Rose then turned and noticed a cowering Mickey. "Oh, gosh! Mickey!" She bolted down the stairs. "It's me. It's okay. It's all right." She did her best to comfort him as he clung to her desperately.

"That thing down there, the liquid. Rose, it can talk!" Mickey gasped as he shook with terror.

"You're stinking. Doctor, Elena, they kept him alive!" Rose shouted at us excitedly.

"Yeah, that was always a possibility. Keep him alive to maintain the copy," the Doctor mused without worry.

"You knew that and you never said?" Rose demanded in irritation.

"Sorry about that. I meant to say something." I apologized awkwardly.

"Can we keep the domestics outside, thanks?" The Doctor snapped. The Doctor and I stopped just above the vat. "Am I addressing the Consciousness?" The Consciousness growled. "Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warp shunt technology. So, may I suggest with the greatest respect that you shunt off," he grinned, rather proud of the pun he just made. The Consciousness growled again. "Oh, don't give me that! It's an invasion, plain and simple. Don't talk about constitutional rights," the Doctor replied angrily. The Consciousness started throwing a fit. "I am talking!" The Consciousness quieted down. "This planet is just starting. These stupid people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf. Please, just go," the Doctor begged.

"Doctor! Elena!" Rose yelled. Suddenly the Doctor and I were grabbed by autons.

' _Crap!_ ' I thought. ' _How could I forget this part?_ ' One of the autons holding the Doctor dug through his pockets and pulled out the vial of anti-plastic.

The Doctor began to panic as the Consciousness screeched. "That was just for insurance," he said, trying to defend himself. "I wasn't going to use it. I wasn't attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not." The Consciousness growled again. "What do you mean?" A door on the level above us moved aside to reveal the TARDIS and my eyes widened. The Doctor became frantic. "No. Oh, no. Honestly, no. Yes, that's my ship." The Consciousness growled once again. "That's not true! I should know, I was there. I fought in the war. It wasn't my fault! I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!"

"What's it doing?" Rose questioned.

"It's the TARDIS," the Doctor rapidly explained. "The Nestene Consciousness had identified its superior technology. It's terrified! It's going to the final phase! It's starting the invasion!"

"Rose, run! Get out of here!" I yelled at her. Instead of running, Rose phoned her mother. Seriously, she had to do that now?! I couldn't hear what she was saying over the roar of the Nestene and I groaned in frustration, still struggling to get free of the autons. Suddenly, a bolt of blue electricity shot into the ceiling.

"It's the activation signal! It's transmitting!" The Doctor panicked. The Nestene continued to roar and thrash inside its vat.

"Rose, just run!" I urged again.

"The stairs have gone!" Rose complained. The autons attempted to push the Doctor and I into the vat. I struggled, doing my best to try and get away, but their grip was too strong. My eyes widened and I panicked as the autons pushed me closer and closer to the vat.

"We're going to die!" I heard Mickey yell. Explosions went on around us, causing sparks and pieces of metal to fly everywhere. The autons continued to push the Doctor and I toward the edge. I paused in my struggling as I heard a gravelly voice say 'Timelord'.

"Doctor!" I yelled, scuffling my feet against the floor in an attempt to stop the autons from tossing me overboard. I couldn't die now! The show had only just begun. I mean, of the all the things that could kill me in this universe, I was NOT going to die by plastic window dummies.

"No!" The Doctor yelled as he continued to try and throw off the auton holding him. His eyes widened when he saw how close I was to the edge of the vat. Just then, Rose swung by on a chain, knocking over the auton that was holding the Doctor. She swung back towards us and knocked the one holding me into the vat. Unfortunately, it attempted to grab me as it fell and caused me to lose my balance. I screamed as I began to fall into the churning vat below me. I managed to grab hold of the edge and keep myself from falling into the vat. The Nestene screeched as the anti-plastic vial burst on top of it.

"Doctor!" I screamed. He appeared above me.

"Hold on, Elena!" He yelled over the screaming Nestene.

I readjusted my grip. "What do you think I'm doing?" I retorted. He reached down, grabbed hold of my wrists and pulled me up.

He pulled me into a tight hug. "I've got you," he murmured while hugging me tightly. He let go, but grabbed my hand and pulled me back up the stairs to the TARDIS. He leaned around Mickey, who was still cowering by the TARDIS doors, and unlocked the doors. Mickey couldn't get through the doors fast enough and nearly fell flat on his face trying to get in. I would've laughed if it hadn't been for the situation at hand. The Doctor darted to the console and pulled a lever. Rose crouched by Mickey, doing her best to comfort him. Mickey bolted out the door as soon as we landed. Rose walked out a bit more calmly. The Doctor and I stood in the TARDIS doorway with me leaning my arm against his arm.

"Fat lot of good you were." Rose told Mickey as he latched onto her once again.

"Nestene Conscience? Easy." The Doctor snapped his fingers at 'easy'.

"You two were useless in there. You would be dead if it wasn't for me," she said pointing to herself.

"Yes, we would," the Doctor admitted. "Thank you. Right then, we'll be off, unless, er, I don't know, you could come with us."

"This beautiful blue box isn't just a London hopper," I said, patting the TARDIS fondly. "It goes anywhere in the universe free of charge." ' _Though she does seem to have a liking of modern day England_ ,' I added in my head.

"Don't. They're aliens. They're things," Mickey accused.

I turned my gaze to him. "For your information, Mickey Smith, only the Doctor is alien. I'm human, thank you very much," I declared, glaring at Mickey. He hid further behind Rose's legs. "Not that I would mind being a Time Lord. Having two hearts would be kind of cool," I mussed.

"He's not invited," the Doctor added, nodding to the cowering Mickey. "What do you think? You could stay here, fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go anywhere."

Rose stared at the Doctor and I could practically see the gears in her head turning as she contemplated the possibility of traveling through space. "Is it always this dangerous?"

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded. Mickey wrapped his arms around Rose's legs.

"Yeah, I can't. I, er, I've got to go find my mum and someone's got to look after this lump, so..." She trailed off, patting Mickey's back.

The Doctor seemed to deflate. "Okay, see you around." He walked back into the TARDIS and shut the door. He trudged up to the console and moodily pulled a couple of levers. The familiar wheezing of the TARDIS engines started as I walked up to him lazily.

"You know," I started, my hands held behind my back. "I don't think I mentioned that the TARDIS can travel in time." The Doctor looked up at me and I grinned at him. He stared at me for a moment before grinning back and sending us back.

We landed and the Doctor poked his head out the door. "By the way, did we mention it also travels in time?" He pulled his head back inside and walked back towards me, grinning knowingly. Sure enough, a moment later Rose came running into the TARDIS and we took off into the Time Vortex.

* * *

 **Please review and let me know your thoughts.  
**


	3. End of the World

**Hello readers! I bring to you chapter 2. Please anjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but my oc.**

* * *

"Right then, Rose Tyler, you tell me. Where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time? It's your choice? What's it going to be?" The Doctor grinned excitedly.

"Forwards," Rose said.

"How far?"

"One hundred years." The Doctor set the coordinates and pulled a lever.

"There you go. Step outside those door, it's the twenty-second century," the Doctor told her.

"You're kidding," Rose stated disbelievingly.

"That's a bit boring though, don't you think?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, your right," the Doctor agreed, "Shall we go a bit further?"

"Fine by me," Rose grinned.

The Doctor once again sent us into the Time Vortex. "10,000 years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the new Roman Empire."

"You think you're so impressive," Rose laughed.

The Doctor look offended. "I am so impressive." I laughed at the look on his face.

"You wish," Rose and I said together. We looked at each other, grinning. I could tell we would be good friends.

"Right then, you asked for it." The Doctor set coordinates and pulled a lever. "I know exactly where to go. Hold on!" A bit of turbulence later, we landed.

"Where are we? What's out there?" Rose questioned.

"Why don't you go and find out," I told her, gesturing to the door. She exited the TARDIS and walked up to a large window. She stared at the view. Outside was earth. It was a beautiful sight, yet somewhat sad as it reminded me of my Earth. While I enjoyed traveling with the Doctor, it was still painful to know that I would never be able to return home.

"You lot. You spend all your time thinking about dying. Like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids. But you never take the time to imagine the impossible. That maybe you survive. This is the year 5.5 slash Apple slash 26. Five billion years in your future. And this is the day— hold on." The Doctor paused and checked his watch. I raised and eyebrow. Why did a time traveler have a watch? As we watched the sun flared red. "This is the day the sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world." We started to explore.

" **Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded the Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleports, and religion. Earth death is scheduled for fifteen thirty nine followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite.** " A computer informed.

We walked down a hallway. "So, when it says guests, does that mean people?" Rose inquired.

"Well, people to them would be aliens to you," I informed her. ' _Even I might be considered an alien to you_ ,' I added in my head. I was afraid that at some point I was going to have to explain the whole 'I'm not from this universe' thing to her. That will be a _fun_ conversation. The Doctor stopped outside a door and pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began sonicing the control panel.

"What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?" Rose asked.

"It's not really a spaceship, more of an observation deck," the Doctor explained, "The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn." He finished sonicing the panel.

"What for?" Rose asked.

"Fun," I replied following the Doctor as he walked through the now open door. We entered the observation deck. A few display cases lined the walls and I walked over to check a couple out. They contained several different Earth "relics".

"Mind you," the Doctor began, "when I said the great and the good, what I mean is the rich."

"But hold on, I saw this in Newsround Extra," Rose said. "The sun expanding, that takes thousands of years."

"Millions," the Doctor corrected, "but the planet is the property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See that down there? Gravity satellites, holding back the sun."

Rose looked where he was indicating. "The planet looks the same. I thought the continents shifted." She said confusedly.

"Trust shifted them back. Classic Earth," I stated simply, joining them at the window.

"But now the money's run out. Nature takes over,"the Doctor finished.

"How long has it got?" Rose asked.

The Doctor checked his watch. "About half and hour and then the planet gets roasted."

Rose looked at him. "Is that why we're here? I mean, is that what you do? Jump I. At the last minute and save Earth?" She asked us, smiling hopefully.

"I'm not saving it," the Doctor replied, "Times up."

"But what about the people?" Rose asked, horrified.

"They've left, Rose. They spread out across the galaxy." I informed her, gesturing to the stars outside in emphasis.

"Just me then," she said forlornly.

"What am I, a Jabberwocky?" I asked in mock offense. The Doctor chuckled quietly.

Rose smiled slightly. "Okay, just us," she corrected.

A blue alien walked up to us. "Who the heck are you?" He asked.

I huffed in annoyance. ' _Rude_.'

"Oh, that's nice, thanks," the Doctor said sarcastically.

The Steward looked flabbergasted. "But how did you get in?" He demanded. "This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way and second."

"That's us. We're guests. Look," the Doctor pulled out the physic paper, "We've an invitation. See. The Doctor and Elena, plus one. I'm the Doctor, this is Elena Jackson, and this is Rose Tyler. She's our plus on. Is that all right?" I waved at the steward at the mention of my name.

The Steward glanced at whatever was written on the paper. He calmed down a bit. "Well, obviously. Apologies. Et cetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy." He walked away towards a podium standing at the front of the room.

"The paper's slightly physic. Shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time," the Doctor explained, showing Rose said paper. I reached over and grabbed it from him. I had been traveling with the Doctor for a week, yet we hadn't been on an adventure which had required the use of the physic paper. I examined it curiously. It was blank.

"I can't read it. It's blank for me." I handed it back to the Doctor.

He gave me a surprised look. "Really?" He inquired, replacing the paper back in his pocket. "You can't see anything on it?"

"Nope," I replied, popping the 'p'.

He grinned at me. "I knew you were clever." I smiled, blushing a little at the compliment. I glanced over at Rose who was staring after the Steward.

"He's blue," Rose stated, having completely ignored the Doctor and I's conversation.

"Yeah," the Doctor affirmed.

"Okay," she nodded.

"We have in attendance the Doctor, Elena Jackson, and Rose Tyler. Thank you. All staff to your positions," the Steward ordered. He clapped his hands and a bunch more small blue aliens came out and went about their jobs. "Hurry now. Quick as you can. Thank you. Might I introduce the next honored guest? Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely Jabe, Lute, and Coffa." We turned to watch the guests arrive. Jabe, Lute, and Coffa approached us.

"We were supposed to bring gifts, so I brought this," I told the Doctor, reaching into the pocket of my leather jacket and pulling out a bag of Hershey's chocolate. (The TARDIS made all my pockets bigger on the inside.) "Technically, the TARDIS brought it. I just happened to find it when searching my pockets earlier."

The Doctor grinned at me. "Brilliant you are," he said kissing my forehead. I blushed, but smiled all the same. We turned as Jabe, Lute, and Coffa reached us.

"The gift of peace. I bring you a cutting of my grandfather." Jabe picked a small potted tree from either Lute or Coffa, (I didn't know who was who) and passed it to the Doctor.

The Doctor grinned and accepted the plant. "Thanks," he said passing the tree off to Rose. I had to resist saying 'I am Groot'.

"In return, I give you chocolate from earth," I said, handing them each a 'fun sized' Hershey bar. To be honest, I don't know why they are called fun sized. There is nothing fun sized about a smaller candy bar. Want to make it fun sized, give me one of the 5 lb. chocolate bars. Now that, is fun sized. Anyway, back to telling the story. Jabe smiled and nodded gratefully before moving on. Another blue alien, this one sitting in a moving chair, approached us next.

"The Moxx of Balhoon." The Doctor said excitedly, bending down to greet him.

"My felicitations on this historical happenstance," the alien stated in a high pitched voice. "I give you the gift of bodily saliva." He spit in Rose's face. I tried my best not to laugh as Rose wiped the spit from her eye. I handed him a piece of chocolate and he moved on. Next, the Adherents of the Repeated Meme approached. I shifted nervously, remembering what they really were and what they do to Rose later on.

"I bring you chocolate from earth," the Doctor said happily, handing them a piece.

One held out its clawed hand, a round metal ball sitting in its palm. "A gift of peace in all good faith," it stated. The Doctor grinned, grabbed the metal ball, tossed it in the air, and passed it to Rose. I watched as they glided off, suppressing a shiver. They didn't bother me when I watched the show, but they were a lot creepier in real life.

The Doctor seemed to notice my discomfort and glanced at me questioningly. "You all right?" He asked, concerned.

I nodded and waved him off. "I'm fine, just got a chill was all." The Doctor didn't seemed convinced, but didn't press me. I briefly wondered if I should tell him what they were, but decided against it. I didn't want to change too much and then not know what was going to happen next. I turned to watch as Cassandra was wheeled in.

"In the memory of this dying world, we call forth the last human. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen," the steward announced.

"Oh now, don't stare," Cassandra said. Rose ignored her and stared, dumbstruck. "I know, I know shocking, isn't it?"

' _That would be the understatement of the century,_ ' I thought.

Cassandra continued, completely oblivious to my inner monologue. "I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference. Look how thing I am. Thin and dainty. I don't look a day over 2,000. Moisturize me. Moisturize me." One of her attendants used the canister he held to spray Cassandra. I tuned out Cassandra's speech to watch Rose as she moved to the side to get a better look at the 'last human'. I broke my gaze from Rose when a juke box was wheeled in. "According to the archives, this was called and iPod," Cassandra explained. I rolled my eyes. They needed to upgrade their archives. "It stores classical music from humanities greatest composers. Play on!" On of the little blue attendants turned it on and 'Tainted Love' started playing. The Doctor began bobbing his head to the beat of the song. I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing.

"Refreshments will now be served," The Steward announced, "Earth death in 30 minutes."

I spotted the Face of Boe and turned to the Doctor. "I'll be back. I want to go say hello to someone." He nodded and walked over the the Face of Boe's tank. "Hello, Jack," I greeted quietly.

' _Now there's a name I haven't heard in a long time_ ,' Boe replied, using his usual telepathy.

"Well, I could call, you Boe if you want," I stated, shrugging my shoulders.

Jack chuckled. ' _I had forgotten how sassy you could be. How have you been, Els?_ '

I smiled at the nickname. "Pretty good. Nothing really to complain about. Been traveling with the Doctor for a little over a week now." I rocked back and forth on the balls of my feet.

' _So this is your first time meeting me then._ ' It was a statement.

I smiled sadly. "Yeah, sorry. But it's good to know that I will meet you later." I grinned at him. Jack chuckled again. I glanced around looking for Rose.

' _I believe our precious flower walked off._ '

I smiled at him. "Thanks. See ya later Jack." I started walking off to go grab the Doctor before looking for Rose when Jack's voice stopped me.

' _Keep and eye on the Doctor, Els_.'

I turned back to him "Two eyes, as often as I can spare them," I quoted Gandalf.

'I _should have known you were going to quote a movie,_ ' Jack sighed in amusement. I laughed quietly to myself and went to find the Doctor.

I tapped the Doctor's arm. "Rose wandered off," I told him. He grabbed my hand and we went to go find her.

"Doctor. Elena," Jabe called as she flashed what seemed to be a camera at us. "Thank you." She walked off. The Doctor glanced down at me in confusion before continuing on our mission. As we walked through the hallway in search of Rose, a voice came over the intercom.

" **Would the owner of the blue box in private gallery 15 please report to the steward's office immediately. Guests are reminded that he use of teleportation devices are strictly forbidden under the Peace Treaty five point four slash cup slash sixteen. Thank you.** "

I turned to the Doctor. "I guess we'd better go take care of that." He sighed and nodded. Suddenly, I remembered something. "Actually, you can go take care of the TARDIS, I have something I need to do."

"Where are you going?" The Doctor called after me as I bolted off down the hall.

"I'll be back!" I shouted back. I had remembered that the plumber, Raffalo, was about to be killed by the spiders and I wasn't about to let that happen without a fight. I stopped at a fork in the hallway, realizing with horror that I had no idea where Raffalo was. I wracked my brain, trying desperately to remember any information I could use to find her. "Come on. Think. Think!" I growled to myself. I smacked myself in the forehead, hoping to kick start my brain. Then it hit me, no pun intended. Raffalo was doing some maintenance for the Face of Boe. "Where is the Face of Boe's suite?" I asked a passing attendant. He pointed to the right. "Thanks." I bolted the way he had pointed.

"No! No!" I heard someone scream. I recognized Raffalo's voice and put on an extra burst of speed.

' _Please don't let me be late_ ,' I pleaded to no one in particular. I rounded the corner just in time to see a pair of legs disappearing into a vent. "On no you don't," I growled, running over and grabbing onto Raffalo's boots. I pulled as hard as I could, hoping that Raffalo's boots wouldn't slip off. I placed a foot against the wall for better leverage and gave a final yank. I fell back as Raffalo came shooting out of the vent. We both landed hard on the ground, breathing heavily.

"Thanks, miss," Raffalo said as she regained her breath.

I smiled at her. "Wasn't going to let an innocent person die on my watch." I got to my feet and brushed myself off. I held out a hand to Raffalo. She hesitated, but took my hand and I pulled her to her feet. "I got to go, but I suggest you stay away from metal spiders, okay?" She nodded and I turned to leave.

"But what your name, miss, if you don't mind me asking?"

I turned back around. "It's Elena. Stay safe Raffalo." I jogged back the way I had come, leaving a very confused Raffalo behind me.

I found the Doctor watching a few attendants move the TARDIS. "Oi, now, careful with that. Park it properly. No scratches," The Doctor told the attendants. He looked down as one of them handed him a ticket. "Where did you go?" He asked, glancing up as I approached.

"Just saving an innocent life," I replied, shrugging my shoulders like it was no big deal. Truth be told, I was rather proud of myself. I had managed to save someone without blowing a hole in the universe.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "Oh? Who?"

I waved him off. "Don't worry, she's not important. Well, she is important. Everyone is important," I quickly corrected. "She's not important to the story line. Meaning saving her won't blow a hole in the space-time continuum." The Doctor eyed me carefully. I gulped, hoping he wouldn't be mad at me.

"Alright, I'm going to trust you on this one, but you must be careful in the future, okay?" I nodded.

"Come on," I said, holding out my hand to him, "Let's go find Rose." He took my hand and we continued on down the hall. We walked up to a door.

"Rose? You in there?" The Doctor called. We walked in and saw Rose sitting on one of the steps. We walked over to her and sat down on the other side of the steps. The Doctor made himself comfortable on the floor, leaning back on one elbow and propping a leg up. I sat down cross legged next to him. "So, what do you think?"

Rose sighed. "Great. Yeah, fine," she replied sarcastically. "Once you get past the slightly physic paper. They're just so alien. The aliens are so alien. You just look at them, and there alien."

' _Sounds like me trying to make the word count on an essay_ ,' I thought.

"Good thing we didn't take you to the Deep South," the Doctor commented.

"Where are you from?"

"All over the place," the Doctor informed her.

"They all speak English," Rose noticed.

"That's actually the TARDIS," I told her. "She translates alien languages for you."

"She gets inside my head?"

"Well, in a good way," the Doctor grinned.

"Your machine gets inside my head. It gets inside my head and changes my thoughts, and you didn't think to ask?" Rose questioned irritably.

The Doctor frowned. "I hadn't thought about it like that," he admitted.

Rose scoffed. "No, you were to busy making up cheep shots about the Deep South. Who are you, Doctor? What are you called? What sort of alien are you?"

"I'm just the Doctor."

"From what planet?" Rose pressed.

"Well, it's not like you'll know where it is!" The Doctor replied, his voice rising.

"Where are you from?" I decided to cut in before the argument proceeded any further.

"Rose," I began gently, "the Doctor has every right not to tell you who he is and where he is from. He will tell you when he is ready. Till then, all you need to know is that you can trust him." The Doctor glanced at me, seeming surprised that I defended him. Rose stared at me, trying to decided whether to press the issue. The Doctor, however, didn't give her the chance. He stood up, jogged down the steps, and stopped in front of the large window. I got up and followed him down. I walked up beside him and grabbed his hand. He looked down at me as I rubbed soothing circles on the back of his hand with my thumb. I gave him a soft smile which he returned after a moment. I heard Rose get up from her spot and join us.

" **Earth death in twenty minutes. Earth death in twenty minutes,** " the computer reported.

"All right," Rose started with a sigh, "As my mate Shareen says, don't argue with the the designated driver." She pulled out her phone and held it up. "Can't exactly call for a taxi. There's no signal. We're out of range, just a bit."

"Tell you what," the Doctor said reaching over and grabbing Rose's phone from her hand, "with a bit of jiggery pokery." He popped off the back of her phone, took out the old battery, and inserted a new one.

"Is that a technical term, jiggery pokery?" Rose questioned, smiling in amusement.

"Yeah. I came first in jiggery pokery," the Doctor bragged. "What about you?"

"No, I failed hullabaloo." Rose laughed.

"Jiggery pokery gave me a bit of trouble," I commented, crossing my arms over my chest, "but I did have an easier time with hullabaloo." The Doctor chuckled.

He finished putting Rose's phone back together. "There you go," he said as he passed her phone back to her and she slowly dialed home. We listened as she talked to Jackie.

"No. I'm fine. Top of the world." The Doctor and I chuckled at the hidden meaning behind the phrase. Rose hung up. "Think that's amazing, you want to see the bill," the Doctor commented.

"That was five billion years ago," Rose said in disbelief, "She's dead now. Five billion year later, my mum's dead."

"Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine," I said sarcastically. Suddenly, the whole space station shook. I held onto the Doctor to keep myself from falling over.

The Doctor furrowed his brows in confusion. "That's not supposed to happen."

"One would hope not," I stated, releasing the tight hold I had on his arm. "Sorry," I apologized sheepishly. The Doctor grabbed my hand and we took off back to the main gallery with Rose following behind us.

" **Honored guests may be reassured that gravity pockets may cause some turbulence, thanking you.** "

' _Gravity pocket my behind_ ,' I thought. The Doctor apparently had the same idea. We walked over to where Jabe stood.

"That wasn't a gravity pocket," the Doctor stated. "I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that. What do you thing, Jabe?" He turned to the tree. "Listen to the engines. They've pitched up about thirty Hertz."

Jabe shrugged. "It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make any sense to me."

"Where is the engine room," the Doctor asked her.

"I don't know, but there is a maintenance duct right behind our guest suite. I could show you and your wife," she suggested gesturing to me. I blushed.

"She's not my wife," the Doctor said.

"We're just friends," I supplied, wanting to avoid the whole awkward situation that would come next. Jabe looked unconvinced, but didn't say anything further.

"Tell you what," Rose said, "Why don't you three go and pollinate while I catch up with the family. A quick word with Michael Jackson." She gestured to Cassandra who was busy chatting away with some of the aliens.

"Don't start a fight," the Doctor warned Rose.

"And be careful," I called after her as she walked away.

The Doctor linked one of his arms with me and held out his other arm to Jabe. "We're all yours," he grinned. Jabe took his arm and we walked out into the hallway.

"And I want you two home by midnight," Rose called after us.

"Yes, mom," I called back. The Doctor chuckled.

We made our way through the maintenance duct, ducking around the multitude of pipes. "So who's in charge of Platform One. Is there a captain or what?" The Doctor asked Jabe.

"There's just the steward and the staff. The rest is controlled by the metal mind."

"You mean the computer," I supplied.

"But who controls that?" The Doctor inquired.

"The corporation," Jabe replied. "They move Platform One from one artistic event to another."

"Not quite sure I would consider the death of Earth an artistic event, but what do I know?" I muttered quietly.

"But there's no one from the corporation on board," the Doctor stated.

Jabe shrugged. "They're not needed. The facility is purely automatic. It's the hight of the Alph class. Nothing can go wrong."

I winced. "Well, now that you said nothing can go wrong, something will go wrong," I muttered. Seriously, why do people say that?

"Unsinkable?" The Doctor asked, raising and eyebrow.

"If you like," Jabe said, "The nautical metaphor is appropriate."

"You're telling me. I was on board another ship once they said that was unsinkable. I ended up clinging to an iceberg. It wasn't half cold." I giggled at the mental image of the Doctor clinging to an iceberg. The Doctor stopped walking and turned back to Jabe. "So, what you're saying is, if we get in trouble there's no one to help us out?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Fantastic," the Doctor grinned and continued walking down the maintenance duct, ducking around a particularly large pipe.

Jabe frowned in confusion. "I don't understand. In what way is that fantastic?" She inquired.

"Just ignore him," I advised her, "it's a rare occasion when he does makes sense."

"I heard that," the Doctor called from ahead of us, causing me to grin cheekily. "So Jabe," he began, trying to make small talk, "what's a tree like you doing in a place like this?"

"Respect for the earth," she replied.

"Oh, come on. Everyone on this platform is worth zillions."

"Well, perhaps it's a case at having to be seen at the right occasions," she replied with a small shrug.

"In case your shares prices drop?" The Doctor inquired, raising an eyebrow. "I know you lot. You've got massive forest everywhere, roots everywhere, and there's always money in land."

"All the same, we respect the Earth as family. So many species evolved from that planet. Mankind is only one. I'm another," she informed him, "My ancestors were transplanted from the planet below, and I'm a direct defendant of the tropical rainforest," she said proudly.

"Excuse me," the Doctor said, moving around Jabe. The Doctor scanned the door to the engine room and sighed when the screen said 'access denied'.

"And what about your ancestry, Doctor? Perhaps you could tell a story or two," Jabe commented. "Perhaps a man only enjoys trouble when there's nothing else left." The Doctor continued scanning the panel, refusing to look at Jabe. "I scanned you earlier. The metal machine had trouble identifying your species. It refused to admit your existence. And even when it named you I wouldn't believe it. But it was right. I know where you're from," Jabe said quietly. "Forgive me for intruding, but it's remarkable you even exist. I want to say how sorry I am." I placed a gentle hand on his arm, knowing talking about his species was a sore subject. He didn't look at me, but he set his own hand on top of mine and gave it a soft squeeze, grateful for the comfort. Finally, the door opened and the Doctor walked in, still holding my hand. The engine room was huge, running the entire length of Platform One. Three massive fans swung over top of a bridge.

"Is it me, or is it a bit nippy?" The Doctor asked, glancing around the engine room. I shivered slightly and brought up the hand that the Doctor wasn't holding to rub my arm in and attempt to warm myself.

"No, it's not just you," I informed him, rubbing my arm vigorously.

"Fair do's, though, that a nice bit of air conditioning," the Doctor complimented. "Sort of nice and old fashioned. Bet they call it retro." He scanned a panel on the wall. "Gotcha!" He exclaimed triumphantly. He pulled the cover off and a metal spider scuttled out. I jumped back in surprise. I hated spiders with a passion. The things scared me. They had way to many legs. "What the heck is that?"

"Is it part of the retro?" Jabe questioned.

I shook my head. "I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark and say, no," I said, my eyes following the spider's progress on the wall. Jabe looked at me questioningly. "Don't ask," I said, not wanting to have to explain one of Earth's many confusing expressions. I hardly understood most of them myself.

"Hold on." The Doctor pointed his sonic at the metal spider, trying to find the right frequency. Jabe then lassoed it via a tree root. "Hey, nice liana." The Doctor commented appreciatively. If trees could blush, Jabe probably would have gone red.

"Than, you," she smiled sheepishly, "We're not supposed to show them in public."

"Don't worry, we won't tell anyone," I promised. She smiled at me.

The Doctor examined the now nonfunctional metal spider in his hand. "Now then, who's been bringing their pets on board?" He mused. I made sure to keep an eye on the spider.

"What does it do?" Jabe inquired looking at the spider curiously.

"Sabotage," I said darkly.

" **Earth death in ten minutes.** " the computer reported.

"And the temperatures about to skyrocket." The Doctor bolted out of the engine room, Jabe and I following close behind.

We ran down the hallway and were met with a group of the little assistants. We could hear a sizzling noise and the smell of something burning. I put my hand up the cover my nose and mouth. "Hold on. Get back," the Doctor ordered. He shoved his way through the assistants and soniced a panel by the door. The sun filter began to rise.

"Is the steward in there?" Jabe asked. My heart sank. I had forgotten about the Steward. I hadn't been able to save him.

"You can smell him," the Doctor replied, looking back at the panel. "Hold on. There's another sun filter scheduled to descend."

My eyes widened. "Doctor!" I yelled, causing him to look at me, "Rose!" Was all I said before I ran down the hallway towards the room Rose had been locked in.

"Let me out! Let me out!" I heard Rose scream and ran towards the door.

"Rose!" I yelled.

"Elena?"

"Yeah, it's me. The Doctor's coming." The Doctor came running around the corner. "Doctor, get her out of there!" I yelled at him. He began sonicing the panel trying to get the sun filter up.

" **Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising**." I sighed in relief only to start panicking again. " **Sun filter descending**."

"Oh, just what we need," the Doctor grumbled. He pulled off the panel and started sonicing the wires, "the computer's getting clever."

"Stop, mucking about!" Rose shouted through the door.

"I'm not mucking about, it's fighting back!" The Doctor protested.

"Rose, get down! Get as low as you can!" I yelled at her. I saw her shadow move as she did what she was told. The Doctor jabbed his sonic around the wires.

" **Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter rising.** " I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I placed a hand on my chest, sighing in relief.

"The whole things jammed. I can open the doors. Stay there. Don't move!" The Doctor ordered Rose. He grabbed my hand and we ran for the main gallery.

"Where am am I going to go, Ipswich?" I heard Rose ask sarcastically as we ran.

"The metal machine confirms," Jabe informed everyone, "The spiders have infiltrated the whole of Platform One."

"How is that possible?" Cassandra inquired, "Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturize me. Moisturize me." One of her attendants sprayed her.

"Summon the Steward," the Moxx demanded.

"I'm afraid the Steward is dead," Jabe said sadly. A collective gasp ran through the room.

"Who killed him," the Moxx asked.

"This event was sponsored by the Face of Boe. He invited us. Talk to the Face. Talk to the Face." Cassandra accused.

I glared at her. "Leave the Face of Boe alone," I growled, giving her by best death glare. The Doctor put his hand on my shoulder and I took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"Easy way of finding out," the Doctor said, holding up the metal spider. "Someone brought their little pet onboard. Let's send him back to master." He set the spider on the floor. The spider scuttled over to Cassandra and paused, scanning her. Cassandra looked away shiftily. The spider moved on, however, and scuttled over to the Adherents of the Repeated Meme.

"The Adherents of the Repeated Meme!" Cassandra gasped, "J'accuse!"

"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious, but if you stop and think about it," the Doctor paused in his speech as he walked over to the black clocked figures. The leader swung an arm and attempted to hit him, but he caught it and yanked its arm off, revealing a bunch of wires. The crowd collectively gasped again. "A Repeated Meme is just an idea. And that's all they are, an idea." He pulled on one of the wires and the Adherents of the Repeated Meme crumpled to the ground. "Remote controlled droids. Nice little cover up for the real trouble maker." The Doctor nudged the spider with his foot. "Go on, Jimbo. Go home." The spider crawled over to Cassandra.

Cassandra scowled at the Doctor. "I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed. At arms!" At her words her attendants raised their moisturizer guns threateningly.

The Doctor put his hands on his chest in fake surprise. "What are you going to do, moisturize me?" He mocked.

"With acid," Cassandra deadpanned. "Oh, your too late, anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. Oh, you all carried them here as gifts, tax free, past every code wall. I'm not just a pretty face."

I rolled my eyes at her. "You're not even that anymore." I told her.

"Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside? How stupid is that?" The Doctor scoffed.

"I had hoped to manufacture a hostage situation with myself as one of the victims. The compensation would have been enormous," Cassandra explained.

"5 billion years and it still comes down to money," I growled.

Cassandra glared at me. "Do you think it's cheap looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I'm the last human, Doctor. Me. Not those freaky little kids of yours," she told the Doctor angrily.

"Oh, so _I'm_ a freak now?!" I asked, glaring at Cassandra. "Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"Arrests her, the infidel!" The Moxx cried.

"Oh, shut it, pixie," Cassandra snapped. "I've still got my final option."

" **Earth death in three minutes.** " the computer reported.

Cassandra smiled. "And here it comes. You just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies and they'll triple in price as soon as your dead," she stated gleefully. "My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that earth song go? Burn baby burn."

"Then you'll burn with us," Jabe spoke up.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Cassandra said, sounding anything but sorry, "I know the use of a teleportation device is strictly forbidden, but I'm such a naughty thing. Spiders activate." The room shook as Cassandra's spiders exploded. "Force fields gone with a planet about to explode. At least it will be quick. Just like my fifth husband. Oh, shame on me." She laughed at her own joke.

" **Systems failing. Systems failing** ," the computer warned.

"Bye bye my darlings." Cassandra and her attendants disappeared in a flash of blue.

" **Heat levels rising** ," the computer reported.

"Reset the computer!" The Moxx cried.

"Only the steward would know how," Jabe said.

"No. We can do it by hand," the Doctor said. "There must be a system restore switch. Elena, Jabe with me. Everyone else, just chill." The Doctor grabbed my hand again and ran out the door, Jabe following behind us.

We ran back towards the engine room, avoiding explosions along the way. We skidded to a stop in the engine room. The fans had now tripled in speed. "Heat levels critical." The computer warned. "Oh, and guess where the switch is," the Doctor stated bitterly. I spotted the switch at the other end of the bridge, being guarded by the three fans. The Doctor pulled down a switch on our side, slowing the fans. However, as soon as he let go, the fans sped up again, making it impossible for him to go across. Jabe walked over to the switch and pulled it down. The Doctor turned around in confusion as the fans once again slowed.

"No, Jabe, you can't, you'll burn," I protested. I quickly removed my leather jacket and gently pushed her out of the way. I wrapped my jacket around the handle and held it down. Jabe was about to protest when I interrupted her. "No. You're made of wood. The heat is going to vent through this place and it will kill you. Go back to the main gallery and get everyone out. Get everyone into the hallways. Anywhere. Just get them away from the windows. Please," I pleaded with her. I hadn't been able to save the steward, but by golly, I was going to do everything in my power to save Jabe and as many of the others as I could. Jabe stared at me for a moment before nodding and running out. I then turned toward the Doctor who was was looking at me worriedly.

"Elena," he began, but I cut him off.

"Don't even try, Doctor," I snapped, shaking my head. "We don't have time to argue. Someone has to hold this lever down. I will live, Jabe wouldn't have. Now stop waisting time, Time Lord." I grinned at him. I couldn't resist saying Jabe's line. Why not, since she wasn't here to say it. Slowly, he grinned back and turned around to the first fan. By the time he had gotten past the first fan, sweat was pouring off me. I panted heavily in a vain attempt to cool down. I could feel the heat burning through my jacket. I attempted to smile when I saw that he had made it past the second fan, but it turned into more of a grimace. I grit my teeth in pain. My hands felt like they were on fire. My legs were shaking with the effort of standing. Just when I felt like I couldn't hold on anymore I heard the Doctor yell.

"Raise shields!" I peeled my hands away from the handle and examined them. They were a bright red and angry blisters were forming. I was so busy examining my hands I didn't notice the Doctor walk up to me until he gently took my hands. I looked up into his pale blue eyes. "Are you all right?" He asked, concerned.

I nodded. "I'll be fine, but I think I'm going to need lots of aloe vera," I said jokingly.

He smiled softly. "We'll fix you up when we get back to the TARDIS," he said.

I nodded and winced a little as I flexed my hands carefully. "Come one, we've got a trampoline to take care of." He grabbed my wrist, careful of my injured hands, and gently tugged me back to the main gallery.

We walked into the room and I glanced around at all the aliens. I smiled to myself when all I saw was a bunch of aliens looking around nervously. There were no smoking piles of alien dust in sight. Aliens wandered around, doing their best to comfort their companions. I spotted Jabe over by Coffa and Lute and I grinned to myself. I had managed to save Jabe. I watched as the Doctor started pacing angrily. I turned my head as Rose came up behind me. "You all right?" I asked her. She nodded.

She turned to the Doctor. "Doctor, you all right?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied darkly, still pacing. "I'm full of ideas. I'm bristling with them. Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two," he stomped over to the ostrich egg Cassandra had brought in earlier, "this feed must be hidden nearby." He smashed the egg revealing a controller. "Idea number three, if your as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed." He twisted a dial on the controller and Cassandra reappeared.

"Oh, you should have seen their little alien faces," she was saying. She stopped speaking when she realized where she was. "Oh," she said flatly.

"The last human," the Doctor said darkly.

"So you passed my little test. Bravo," Cassandra stuttered nervously, "the makes you eligible to join, er, the human club."

The Doctor glared at her. "People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them." He yelled angrily.

Cassandra scoffed. "That depends on your definition of people, and that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers busy for centuries. Take me to court then, Doctor, and watch me cry and flutter."

"And creak?" I asked, crossing my arms, but being careful of my hands.

"And what?" Cassandra asked, alarmed.

"Creak. You're creaking," the Doctor stated.

Cassandra started to panic. "What? Ah! I'm drying out. Oh, sweet heavens." Her skin began to tighten and strain against its frame and her eyes became blood shot. "Moisturize me, moisturize me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!"

"You raised the temperature," the Doctor informed her.

"Have pity! Oh, oh, Doctor, I'm sorry. I'll do anything!" Cassandra pleaded desperately. I stood next to the Doctor debating about asking him to help her. I knew he wouldn't, even if I asked. Besides, Cassandra needed to die here so she will wind up at the hospital in New New York.

Rose walked up on the other side of the Doctor. "Help her," she said, looking at Cassandra sadly.

"Everything has its time and everything dies," he replied. I couldn't stand to watch anymore and turned and buried my head in the Doctor's shoulder. The Doctor wrapped an arm around me.

"I'm too young!" Cassandra yelled. Suddenly, her skin burst with a loud 'splat'. I peeked out from the Doctor's arm and grimaced at the mess.

"Ew." I stuck out my tongue in disgust.

I watched as the aliens left. I smiled to myself as the Moxx of Balhoon rolled passed. I was very proud of myself. I had managed to save a lot of lives this adventure without risking blowing up the universe. I turned and saw some attendant wheeling the Face of Boe away. "Goodbye, Jack. See you later," I called after him.

' _I look forward to it, Els_ ,' he replied.

I spotted Jabe and walked over to her. "Jabe, thanks for everything," I told her.

She smiled at me. "I think I should be the one thanking you and the Doctor."

I shrugged. "All in a day's work." I pulled her into a hug. She stiffened for a moment, probably not used to the form of contact, before relaxing and returning the gesture. "Take care, Jabe." I turned to Coffa and Lute who were standing behind Jabe. "And you boys, keep an eye on her for me." They looked a little confused, but nodded all the same. Finally, the Doctor, Rose, and I were the only ones left. The Doctor had healed my hands using some fancy Time Lord technology.

Rose stood staring out the window at the pieces of earth flying by. "The end of the earth. It's gone," she said sadly. "We were too busy saving ourselves. No one saw it go. All those years, all that history, and no one was even looking. It's just." Her eye started filling with tears.

The Doctor reached out his hand to her. "Come with us," was all he said. Rose grabbed his hand and he led her back to the TARDIS, me following close behind. He set the coordinates and we landed. Rose stepped out onto a busy street. There were people everywhere. A baby cried and a man laughed. Everyone went about their daily business, blissfully unaware of what was going to happen in five billion years. I wondered how people didn't run into the blue police box sitting in the middle of the street. "You think it'll last forever. People and cars and concrete. But it won't. One day it's all gone. Even the sky. My planet's gone. It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust. Before its time," the Doctor said, watching as the people moved around us. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it comfortingly. He didn't look at me, but he squeezed my hand back to let me know he appreciated the gesture.

"What happened?" Rose asked softly, looking at the Doctor.

"There was a war and we lost."

"A war with who? What about your people?"

"I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left traveling on my own because there's no one else." I squeezed his hand again. "Well, there's Elena." He added smiling a little in my direction.

"There's me, now." Rose said.

"You've seen how dangerous it is. Do you want to go home?" I asked.

"I don't know. I want...," she paused, sniffing the air. "Can you smell chips?"

"Yeah," the Doctor replied. I sniffed the air and smiled at the smell of food.

"I want chips." Rose stated, grinning.

"Me too," the Doctor grinned back.

"Right then, before you get me back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay," Rose told the Doctor.

"No money," the Doctor shrugged.

"What sort of date are you?" Rose joked.

"Never really need to bring money with us. Luckily for us, though," I pulled a wad of cash from my jacket pocket, (I had swapped my burnt one for a new one.) "the TARDIS gave me some money along with that bag of chocolates. So chips are on me. We've only got five billion years 'till the shops close." I linked arms with the Doctor and Rose and led them down the street towards the smell of food. "You know, in America, we call chips, French fries. I don't know why. As far as I know they aren't French. Although, I don't know, they could be. I never was good at history." The Doctor and Rose laughed at my rambling and I soon joined in.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Please review and let me know about anything that could be inproved. Till next time.**


	4. The Unquiet Dead

**Hello readers! I hope you have been enjoying the story so far. I've got a couple of reviews all ready, but I'm eager to hear what the rest of you have to say. I did have one review wondering why Rose wasn't my favorite companion. I want to clarify that I don't dislike Rose. I think Rose was a great companion and was good for the Doctor, but she is not my favorite. Sassy Donna Noble is my favorite. I love her relationship with the Doctor. However, I still like the other companions. Each one has their pros and cons and has a special place in my heart, just like each of the new regenerations of the Doctor do. (Haven't seen the classic Who yet) Please review and without further ado here is The Unquiet Dead.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but my oc.** **Edited by Formusan.**

* * *

I clung to the captain's chair as the TARDIS shook while the Doctor attempted to teach Rose how to drive the TARDIS. The Doctor was standing at the console while Rose held down one of the many buttons. "Hold that one down," the Doctor told her, gesturing to another button.

"I'm holding this one down," Rose protested.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Well, hold them both down."

"Oh, for goodness sake," I said exasperatedly. I jumped down from my perch, wobbling slightly, and rushed over to press the button the Doctor had indicated.

"This isn't going to work," Rose complained, still holding her button down.

"Oi! I processed you a time machine, and that's what you're getting. Now, you seen the future, let's have a look at the past. 1860. How does 1860 sound?" The Doctor looked at Rose questioningly.

"What happened in 1860?" Rose asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor replied with a childish grin. "Let's find out. Hold on. Here we go." He pulled a final lever and sent us toppling to the floor.

"Blimey!" Rose exclaimed as she got up and rubbed a bruise.

"You're telling me. You all right?" The Doctor asked, looking us both up and down.

"Head, arms, feet, and legs," I patted each body part as I named them, checking to see if they were still there. "All there. Yup, I'm good," I replied enthusiastically, jumping to my feet.

"Yeah. I think so. Nothing broken. Did we make it? Where are we?" Rose inquired.

The Doctor ran over to the computer screen to check where we landed. "I did it," he grinned, "Give the man a medal. Earth, Naples, December 24, 1860." I rolled my eyes, knowing full well the Doctor had gotten the flight wrong, landing us in Cardiff, 1869. Seriously, the Doctor always seems to land in either London or Cardiff whenever he gets the flight plan wrong. Maybe the TARDIS just really likes Britain. I wouldn't blame her, they have some great actors and I would never shut up if I had a British accent.

"That's so weird though. It's Christmas," Rose stated quietly.

"That's the thing about time travel. You don't have to go in order. It can be Christmas one day and than Easter the next. You can even have Christmas two days in a row, or more if you want," I told her, smiling.

"And it's all yours," the Doctor added.

"But, it's like, think about it though. Christmas 1860. Happens once, just once, and it's gone, never happens again. Except for you. You can go back and see days that are dead and gone a hundred thousand sunset ago. No wonder you never stay still," Rose mused.

"Not a bad life," the Doctor said, shrugging and almost jumping in excitement.

"Better with three," Rose grinned. The Doctor and I grinned back. "Come on, then," Rose called over her shoulder as she ran to the doors.

"Where do you think you are going?" The Doctor asked.

"1860."

"Go out there, dressed like that, you'll start a riot, Barbarella." The Doctor pointed down the hallway. "There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left. Hurry up!" I grabbed Rose's hand and led her to the wardrobe. While the TARDIS had provided me with a closet in my room, I enjoyed going to the wardrobe every now and then to try on the different period clothing.

"How are we supposed to remember that?" Rose complained as I dragged her down the hall.

"Don't worry, the TARDIS will show us the way," I assured her. As soon as I said that, a golden light appeared, leading us in the direction of the wardrobe. With all the different, ever changing hallways, it was easy to get lost. I still have trouble finding my room at times. As we walked into the wardrobe, Rose let out a gasp. The room was huge and had every piece of clothing imaginable. I led her over to the 1860s section and we began to browse through the many dresses the TARDIS had to offer. I pulled out a few dresses, but none seemed suit me. I looked over at Rose who had pulled out a dress with a black corset and cape and a pale red skirt. She smiled and darted into the changing room to try it on. I sighed in frustration. I turned back to the rack and was surprised to see just one dress hanging there. I picked it up and grinned. "Thanks, sexy," I murmured.

' _You're welcome_ ,' the TARDIS hummed. I rushed into the changing room to try it on.

I turned from side to side, examining the dress in the mirror. The dress was deep purple in color. It consisted of three pieces, a bodice, skirt, and jacket. It was simple, but elegant in its design. I grinned. It was perfect. The TARDIS sure did have good taste. Hearing my thoughts, the TARDIS hummed appreciatively. I didn't want to wear the uncomfortable period style boots so I put on my usual black, lace up, combat boots. I put my strawberry blonde hair into two braids and them wound them together in a bun. I added a small bit of makeup, mainly just mascara and a little blush. I examined myself in the mirror and smiled satisfactorily. "Rose, you ready?" I called.

"Yeah." She replied. She had put here hair up and added some feathers as accessories.

I smiled at her. "You look great," I told her.

She smiled at me. "Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself," she replied.

I smiled appreciatively and held out my arm. "Shall we go explore 1860?" I said in my best British accent.

Grinning, she looped her arm through mine. "We shall."

We arrived in the console room to see the Doctor doing some, most likely unnecessary, repairs on the TARDIS. I cleared my throat, causing him to look up. His eyes widened in surprise. "Blimey!" He exclaimed, staring at the two of us. He looked us up and down, examining our chosen attire. I could have sworn his eyes lingered longer on me, but I quickly dismissed the idea.

"Don't laugh!" Rose warned, pointing a finger accusingly at him as her skirt rustled.

He continued to stare. "You look beautiful," He said, looking at me. I blushed and looked away, embarrassed. He went back to working on the TARDIS. "Considering."

"Considering what?" Rose inquired with raised eyebrows.

The Doctor didn't look up. "That you're human."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Rose stated, a little unsure. "Aren't you going to change?" She asked him.

"I've changed my jumper," the Doctor stated indignantly. "Come on." The Doctor made to get out of the hole in the floor he was in when Rose held up a hand.

"You stay there," she told him as she ran for the door. "You've done this before. This is mine." She opened the doors with glee.

I turned towards the Doctor. "I think it's a nice jumper," I told him, smiling slightly. He smiled back.

"You really do look beautiful," the Doctor told me.

I blushed again. "Really?" I asked, fingering the fabric of my dress.

"Yeah," the Doctor replied. He held out his arm. "My lady." I blushed again, but took his arm. He led me out of the TARDIS. Our feet crunched against the snow that had accumulated outside. I took a deep breath, sucking in the cold winter air. I smiled softly as I watched the snow fall. I stuck out my tongue and giggled when a snowflake landed on it. I let go of the Doctor's arm and ran around trying to catch more snowflakes. I was so engrossed in catching snowflakes that I didn't notice the Doctor watching me with a soft smile on his face. The Doctor bought a newspaper from a newspaper salesman and read the date at the top.

I walked up behind him. "Got the flight wrong, did we?" I teased with a knowing smile.

"Shut up," the Doctor muttered. We walked back over to Rose, who was grinning from ear to ear. "I got the flight a bit wrong," he informed her.

"I don't care," Rose replied, grinning widely as she glanced around.

"It's not 1860. It's 1869."

"I don't care," she repeated.

"It's not Naples."

"I don't care."

"It's Cardiff."

Rose stopped in her tracks, her smile disappearing. "Right," she said, disappointed. I started laughing at the look on her face, but stopped when we heard a scream.

The Doctor grinned. "Now, that's more like it!" He grabbed my hand and took off towards the sound, Rose following close behind. We ran inside the theater, doing our best to avoid the screaming mob scrambling to get out. We made it to the main room and saw an old woman standing amongst the seats. She had her head tilted back and she was screaming, releasing a gaseous blue ghost of some sort. The ghost creature flew around the room. "Fantastic," the Doctor grinned, watching the ghost's progress around the room. He ran up to the stage. "Did you see where it came from?" He asked of the man standing on stage who I remembered was Charles Dickens.

"Ah, the wag reveals himself, does he? I trust you're satisfied, sir!" Dickens scoffed.

"Oi! Leave her alone!" I heard Rose yell. I turned to look and saw Gwyneth and Mr. Sneed carrying the old woman's corpse out of the theater. "Doctor, Elena, I'll get them!" She took off after them.

"Be careful!" The Doctor yelled after her. He turned back towards the man, climbing onto the stage. "Did it say anything. Can it talk? I'm the Doctor and this is Elena by the way." The Doctor gestured to me as I clambered onto the stage next to him; a nineteenth-century dress isn't exactly climbing gear.

Dickens looked the Doctor up and down. "Doctor? You look more like a navvie," Dickens sneered.

"What wrong with this jumper?" The Doctor asked indignantly, pulling at said jumper while I laughed at him. We watched as the ghost creature continued its flight around the room before being sucked into one of the gas lamps. "Gas. It's made of gas."

Suddenly, I remembered something. "Doctor, Rose!" I yelled at him and I took off, running back outside the theater. The Doctor and I ran outside just in time to see Gwyneth shut the door to the hearse.

"Rose!" The Doctor and I yelled in unison. We bolted down the steps and up to a carriage standing across the street.

Dickens ran after us. "You're not escaping me, sir. You know about that hobgoblin, hmm? Projection on glass, I suppose. Who put you up to it?" He demanded.

I rolled my eyes. "Not now, Mr. Dickens," I said, exasperated.

"Yea, mate. Not now, thanks," the Doctor agreed. He turned to the carriage driver. "Oi, you! Follow that hearse!" He climbed into the carriage, pulling me along with him.

"You can't do that, sir, Madame," the driver told us.

"Why not?" The Doctor asked. Dickens walked up to the carriage.

"I'll tell you why not. I'll give you a very good reason why not! 'Cause this is my coach!" Dickens yelled.

"Well, get in, then." The Doctor grabbed Dickens by the arm and pulled him into the carriage. "Move!" The Doctor told the driver. The driver obliged, cracking his whip and causing the carriage to jolt with the sudden movement. "Come one, you're losing them," the Doctor complained.

"Everything in order, Mr. Dickens?" The driver asked, turning around in his seat to look at the writer.

"No, it is not," Dickens huffed angrily. The Doctor turned to him in surprise.

"What did he say?" The Doctor questioned.

"Let me say this first. I'm not without a sense of humor," Dickens began, but the Doctor interrupted him.

"Dickens?"

"Yes." Dickens said flatly.

"Charles Dickens?"

"Yes."

" _The_ Charles Dickens?" The Doctor asked, getting more and more excited.

"Should I remove the gentleman and lady, sir?" The driver inquired.

The Doctor grinned at Dickens. "Charles Dickens? You're brilliant, you are. Completely one hundred percent brilliant. I've read them all. _Great Expectations_ , _Oliver Twist_ and what's the other one, the one with the ghosts?" The Doctor rambled excitedly. I giggled at his enthusiasm.

" _A Christmas Carol?_ " Dickens asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "No, no, no, the one with the trains. _The Signal Man_ ," he said, snapping his fingers in triumph, "that's it. Terrifying! Best short story ever written. You're a genius!"

"Do you want me to get rid of them, sir?" The driver asked again, this time impatiently.

"Er, no, I think they can stay," Dickens said, smiling a little.

"Honestly, Charles. Can I call you Charles? I'm such a big fan." The Doctor continued with his rambling.

"A what? A big what?" Dickens asked confusedly.

"Fan. Number one fan, that's me."

"How exactly are you a fan?" Dickens inquired. "In what way do you resemble a means of keeping oneself cool?"

I shook my head with an amused smile. "It means fanatic, devoted to," I supplied, "and he's your number one. You should see the number of copies of your books he has in the library. I think he has one in every language," I said in amusement. The Doctor glared at me before turning back to Dickens.

"Mind you, I've gotta say, that American bit in _Martin Chuzzlewit_ , what's that about? Was that just padding or what? I mean it's rubbish, that bit," the Doctor criticized.

"I thought you said you were my fan," Dickens said flatly.

"Oh well, if you can't take criticism," the Doctor shrugged. "Go on, then, do the death of Little Nell, it cracks me up!" I nudged the Doctor in the ribs. "No, sorry, forget about that. Come on, faster!" He told the driver.

"Who exactly is in that hearse?" Dickens asked us.

"Our friend. She's only nineteen. It's my fault. She's in my care, and now she's in danger," the Doctor said solemnly. I placed my hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. The Doctor sent me a grateful smile.

"Why are we wasting time talking about old dry books? This is much more important. Driver, be swift! The chase is on!" Dickens told the driver firmly.

"Yes, sir." The driver cracked his whip, causing the horse to break into a gallop.

"Attaboy, Charlie," the Doctor grinned.

"Nobody calls me Charlie."

"The ladies do," the Doctor replied. I rolled my eyes.

"How do you know that?" Dickens asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I told you, I'm your number one fan," the Doctor started.

"Number one fan," Dickens said, slightly annoyed as he turned to look out the window.

We arrived at the undertakers and Dickens walked up to the door and knocked. Gwyneth open the door. "I'm sorry sir. We're closed." She informed Dickens.

"Nonsense," Dickens scoffed, "Since when did and undertaker keep office hours? The dead don't die on schedule. I demand to see your master."

"He's not in, sir." Gwyneth attempted to shut the door, but Dickens stopped her.

"Don't lie to me, child. Summon him at once," Dickens demanded angrily. I felt bad for Gwyneth; she looked so uncomfortable. She was only obeying Mr. Sneed's orders.

"I'm awfully sorry, Mister Dickens, but the master is indisposed." The gas lamp behind Gwyneth flared. The Doctor noticed.

"Having a bit of trouble with your gas?" the Doctor asked Gwyneth rhetorically. He pushed past Gwyneth and into the house.

"Sorry," I apologized to Gwyneth as I walked past her. The Doctor pressed an ear to the wall.

"What the Shakespeare is going on?" Dickens demanded. I strode past the Doctor and down the hall towards where I hoped Rose would be. I stopped as I tried to figure out which way to go.

Mr. Sneed came down the stairs behind me. "Who are you? You shouldn't be in here," he told me sternly.

"Clam it, Mr. Sneed," I snapped, ignoring his surprise that I knew his name. "What did you do with Rose?"

"Who?" He asked.

"The young girl you and Gwyneth kidnapped. Don't bother denying it," I said as he opened his mouth to protest. "I saw you shove my friend in your hearse. Now what did you do with her?" I demanded.

"Help me!" I heard Rose shout from somewhere down the hall.

"Never mind," I said. I ran down the hall towards Rose's voice before Mr. Sneed could protest.

"Open the door!" Rose yelled as I reached the door.

"Hang on, Rose!" I told her.

"Elena?" Rose asked hopefully.

"Yup. Hang tight, the Doctor's on his way," I assured her. Right on cue, the Time Lord came bolting around the corner. "Took you long enough," I scolded lightly.

"Somebody open the door!" Rose yelled.

I gestured to the locked door. "If you would be so kind," I told the Doctor. He kicked in the door revealing two corpses, the male corpse holding Rose.

"I believe this is my dance," the Doctor said, reaching in, grabbing Rose, and shoving the corpse aside.

"Nice to see you again," I told her cheerfully. She glanced back at me and smiled.

Dickens stared dumbfounded at the animated corpses. "It's a prank. It must be. We're under some kind of mesmeric influence," he said, shaking his head disbelievingly.

"No, it's not. The dead are walking." The Doctor informed him.

"It's the _Walking Dead_ ," I giggled, Rose gave me a confused look. "Sorry, tv show reference." Rose shook her head

"Hi." The Doctor said to Rose cheerfully.

"Hi. Who's your friend," Rose asked, turning and glancing back at Dickens who was staring nervously at the corpses. I didn't blame him, they were kind of creepy.

"Charles Dickens," I replied happily.

Rose blinked and turned back towards the corpses. "Okay," she replied without disbelief.

"My names the Doctor. Who are you? What do you want?" The Doctor asked the corpses.

The corpses opened their mouths to reply, but the voice that came out sounded as if multiple people were speaking, the main voice sounding like a young girl. "Failing. Open the rift. We're dying. Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us! Argh!" The gas creature left the corpses and flew into the lamps lining the walls. The corpses, now with nothing to hold them upright, collapsed to the ground. I pulled a disgusted face at the sight of the crumpled corpses.

In the living room, the Doctor and I stood at the back of the room watching Rose shout at Mr. Sneed. Gwyneth was busy getting everyone tea. Dickens was sitting at a table, already sipping on his tea. "First of all you drug me, then you kidnap me, and don't think I didn't fell you hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man!" Rose shouted. I giggled at the look on Mr. Sneed's face. He probably wasn't used to having women talk back to him. I heard the Doctor chuckle beside me.

"I won't be spoken to like this!" Mr. Sneed said indignantly, looking more and more nervous as Rose glared at him.

Rose continued her rant as if he hadn't interrupted. "Then you stuck me in a room full of zombies! And if that ain't enough, you swan off and leave me to die! So come on, talk!"

"It's not my fault," Mr. Sneed said, caving under Rose's withering gaze. "It's this house. It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back, and the the stiffs," he paused and looked over to Dickens, who had his tea cup raised, but wasn't drinking any, "the er, dear departed started getting restless," Mr. Sneed corrected himself, trembling all the while.

"Tommyrot," Dickens scoffed. Mr. Sneed turned to him.

"You witnessed it," Mr. Sneed pointed out. "Can't keep the beggars down, sir. They walk. And its the queerest thing, but the hang on to scraps."

Gwyneth walked over the where the Doctor and I stood and handed us each a cup of tea. "Two sugars, sir, just how you like it. And three sugars with a dash of honey for you, miss." As Gwyneth walked off, the Doctor and I shared a look, both of us knowing that we never gave her that information. It was kind of creepy, knowing she could read my mind, but I knew she couldn't help. She really was a sweet girl and I hoped I could do something to save her. However, I was afraid of the consequences saving her might have. There was no way for me to know whether or not her death was a fixed point and what it might change in the future if it wasn't.

"One old fellow who used to be a sexton almost walked into his own memorial service. Just like the old lady going to your performance, sir, just as she planned," Mr. Sneed said, gesturing to Dickens.

"Morbid fancy," Dickens replied, still not believing.

"Oh, Charles, you were there," the Doctor told him, getting annoyed with the writer.

Dickens stood up. "I saw nothing but an illusion."

I rolled my eyes at Dickens denial. "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth," I quoted, taking a sip of my tea. I licked my lips, savoring the sweet taste.

"Nice one, Sherlock," the Doctor said, grinning at me.

"Thank you, Watson," I smirked. I turned to Mr. Sneed. "What about the gas?"

"That's new, miss," Mr. Sneed answered. "Never seen anything like that."

"Means its getting stronger, the rift's getting wider and something's sneaking though," the Doctor concluded.

"What's the rift?" Rose questioned.

"A weak point in time and space. A connection between this place and another. That's the cause of the ghost stories, most of the time," the Doctor answered.

"That's how I got the house so cheap. Stories going back generations," Mr. Sneed confirmed. Unable to listen anymore, Dickens left the room, slamming the door behind him. "Echoes in the dark," Mr. Sneed continued," queer songs in the air, and this feeling like a shadow passing over your soul. Mind you, truth be told, it's good for business. Just what people expect from a gloomy old trade like mine."

The Doctor went off to find Dickens leaving Rose and I behind in the living room. Gwyneth had gone into the kitchen to tidy up. Rose and I looked at each other before silently deciding to go and help Gwyneth. We walked in as Gwyneth was lighting one of the lamps. Rose and I walked over to the sink and started to wash the dishes. "Please, misses, you shouldn't be helping. It's not right." Gwyneth pleaded.

"Don't be daft. Sneed works you to death," Rose said. Gwyneth held her hand out for the cloth Rose was using to clean the dishes. Sighing, Rose reluctantly handed it to her. "How much do you get paid?"

"Eight pound a year, miss," Gwyneth answered.

"How much?" Rose asked, surprised at the small amount.

"I know. I would've been happy with six," Gwyneth replied, misunderstanding Rose's tone.

"So, did you go to school or what?"

Gwyneth gave Rose a offended look. "Of course I did. What do you think I am, an urchin? I went every Sunday, nice and proper," she said, smiling.

Rose stared at her. "What, once a week?" she asked, surprised.

"We did sums and everything. To be honest," Gwyneth lowered her voice, "I hated every second."

Rose and I laughed. "Didn't we all?" I said. Even though I managed to get goods grades in all my subjects, I never liked school much. Course, I was homeschooled so I shouldn't complain too much. Since my family was military, being homeschooled made it easier when we moved. Not to mention, we could take off a day of school for field trips whenever we wanted. It was also fun doing homework in pjs.

"Don't tell anyone, but one week, I didn't go and ran on he heath all on my own," Gwyneth whispered giddily.

"I would have gotten into so much trouble with my parents if I had done that," I remarked. "Course I was homeschooled so it would have been near impossible to sneak away anyway."

"I did plenty of that," Rose grinned, "I used to go down to the shops with my mate Shareen. We used to go and look at boys."

At this, Gwyneth stopped laughing. "Well, I don't know much about that, miss," she said sheepishly.

"Come on, times haven't changed that much. I bet you've done the same," Rose prodded.

"I don't think so, miss," Gwyneth replied, turning back to her task.

"Gwyneth, you can tell us. I bet you've got your eye on someone," Rose said gently and persuasively.

"I suppose," Gwyneth conceded. "There is one lad. The butcher's boy. He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him." She smiled fondly.

"I like a nice smile. Good smile, nice bum," Rose said with a grin.

Gwyneth looked shocked. "Well, I have never heard the like," she replied, eyes wide.

"Ask him out. Give him a cup of tea or something, that's a start," Rose advised.

Gwyneth looked at Rose curiously. "I swear it is the strangest thing, miss. You've got all the clothes and the breeding, but you talk like some sort of wild thing."

"There's one in every crowd," I muttered quietly. Rose ignored me.

"Maybe I am. Maybe that's a good thing. You meed a bit more in your life than Mister Sneed," Rose told her.

"Oh, not that's not fair," Gwyneth scolded. "He's not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind to me to take me in because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Rose apologized sadly.

"Thank you, miss. But I'll be with them again, one day, sitting with them in paradise. I shall be so blessed. They're waiting for me." Gwyneth turned to Rose. "Maybe you dad's up there waiting for you too, miss."

Rose frowned. "Maybe. Er, who told you he was dead?"

Gwyneth shrugged. "I don't know. Must have been the Doctor."

I shook my head. "I was with him the whole time and he never said a word about Rose's dad. Besides, he doesn't even know that Rose's dad is dead," I said.

"My father died years back," Rose informed her.

"But you've been thinking about him lately more than ever," Gwyneth said, her eyes going out of focus.

"I suppose so. How do you know all this?" Rose asked, narrowing her eyes at Gwyneth.

Gwyneth's eyes came back into focus. "Mister Sneed says I think too much. I'm all alone down here. I bet you've got dozens of servants, haven't you, miss?"

"No, no servants where I'm from." Rose replied, shaking her head.

"Nor me," I said.

"And you've come such a long way," Gwyneth said, her eyes losing focus again.

"What makes you think so?" Rose asked with raised eyebrows.

"You're from London," Gwyneth replied. "I've seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about half naked, for shame. And the noise, and the metal boxes racing past, and the birds in the sky, no, they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People are flying. And you," Gwyneth turned to me, "you've flown so far. Further than anyone. All the way from another world. The things you've seen." I raised my eyebrow at her. "The darkness, the big bad wolf." Gwyneth jerked back to reality. "I'm sorry," she gasped. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, miss."

"Its all right," I told her, wrapping my arms around her comfortingly.

"I can't help it," she said.

"I know," I told her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. The thing about the Bad Wolf bothered me. I knew in the show that Rose had been the one to become Bad Wolf, but Gwyneth had been talking to me when she mentioned it. Did that mean I'm the one destined to be Bad Wolf instead? I decided to think about it later.

"Ever since I was a little girl, my mum said I had the sight. She told me to hide it."

"But its getting stronger, more powerful, is that right?" The Doctor's voice sounded suddenly from the doorway, causing all three of us to jump.

Gwyneth nodded. "All the time, sir. Every night, voices in my head."

"You grew up on top of the rift. You're part of it. You're the key," the Doctor explained.

Gwyneth gazed at the Doctor helplessly. "I've tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table rappers, all sorts."

"Well, that should help," the Doctor nodded. "You can show us what to do."

"What to do where, sir?" Gwyneth asked the Doctor, confused.

"We're going to have a séance." The Doctor grinned.

Everyone gathered in the dinning room. Gwyneth sat at the head of the table with the Doctor at her left followed by me then Mr. Sneed and Rose. Dickens was standing by the door. "This is how the Madam Mortlock summons this from the Land of Mists, down in the big town," Gwyneth explained. "Come, we must all joins hands." We all held hands. I grimaced slightly as Mr. Sneed grabbed my hand. Dickens, however, still stood off to the side, refusing to sit down.

"I can't take part in this," Dickens protested.

"Humbug. Come on, open mind," the Doctor chastised.

"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask. Séances? Nothing bur luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing," Dickens scoffed. Gwyneth hung her head sadly.

"Now, don't antagonize her. I love a happy medium," the Doctor said, grinning. I rolled my eyes.

"I can't believe you just said that," Rose said with a shake of her head.

"I can," I said.

"Come on, we might need you," the Doctor told Dickens. Reluctantly, Dickens sat down between Rose and Gwyneth. "Good man. Now," the Doctor turned to Gwyneth, "Gwyneth, reach out."

Gwyneth closed her eyes. "Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits, come," Gwyneth encouraged. "Speak to us that we may relieve you burden." Suddenly, I could hear whispering.

"Can you hear that?" Rose asked, hearing the whispering.

"Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly," Dickens said nervously.

"Shut up, Dickens," I said quietly as I watched Gwyneth.

"I see them. I feel them," Gwyneth continued. Blue gas began to drift above our heads, the whispering continuing. I watched the gas as it floated about.

"What's it saying?" I asked the Doctor.

"They can't get through the rift," the Doctor answered, "Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now, look deep," he encouraged. "Allow them through."

"I can't!" Gwyneth protested, a small grimace on her face.

"Yes, you can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth," the Doctor told her softly, "Make the link."

"Yes." More blue gas appeared behind Gwyneth and took a humanoid form.

"Oh, my! Spirits from the other side." Mr. Sneed gasped.

"The other side of the universe," the Doctor corrected.

"Pity us. Pith the Gelth. There is so little time. Help us." The Gelth said plaintively. It's voice sounded like a young child. As it spoke, Gwyneth spoke with it.

"What do you want us to do?" The Doctor questioned.

"The rift. Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge," the Gelth demanded.

"What for?"

"We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction." I narrowed my eyes at the Gelth. I knew they were lying. If I remembered correctly, they numbered a few...billion.

"Why, what happened?" The Doctor asked, knowing what it was like to be the last of one's kind.

"Once we had a physical form like you, but then the war came."

"War? What war?" Dickens asked curiously.

"The Time War," the Gelth answered. I felt the Doctor tense beside me and I squeezed his hand in comfort. "The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged. Invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state."

"So that's why you need the corpses," the Doctor concluded.

"We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again."

' _And you're going to do that by inhabiting corpses. That makes perfect sense._ ' I thought sarcastically.

"We need a physical form, and you dead are abandoned. They're going to waste. Give them to us," the Gelth pleaded.

"But we can't," Rose protested.

"Why not?" The Doctor asked her.

"It's not. I mean, it's not..." Rose stuttered, trying to find the right words, but the Doctor interrupted her.

"Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives," he argued.

"Open the rift. Let the Gleth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth." The Gelth vanished back into the lamps and Gwyneth collapsed onto the table. Rose quickly got up and ran over to her.

"Gwyneth?" Rose asked, putting her hands gently on the unconscious girl.

"All true," Dickens breathed, staring in shock at where the Gelth had been.

"Come on, help me get Gwyneth to the couch," I told Rose, walking up to them. I took Gwyneth's arms while Rose took her legs and together we carried her to the couch.

I left Rose to watch over Gwyneth and walked over to the Doctor, who appeared to be deep in thought. "I've got a bad feeling about the Gelth," I told him quietly. Before our first adventure we had agreed that the Doctor would not ask me to reveal any details about the adventure. He didn't want me to accidentally give away a big spoiler that would cause the universe to implode. However, I was willing to take the risk if it meant saving lives. What good was foreknowledge if I wasn't allowed to use it? Besides, I had saved all those people/aliens on the last adventure without any apparent consequences, so what harm could trying to save Gwyneth do?

"What makes you say that, your foreknowledge?" The Doctor asked, turning towards me.

"I just don't feel like we can trust them." I didn't want to tell him outright what the Gelth really wanted, but I also wanted to warn him.

The Doctor frowned. "They're the last of their kind. Are you saying I should let them die?" He inquired.

I shook my head. "No. I'm just saying we need to stop and really think about this," I replied, placing a hand on his arm. He pulled his arm away.

"I have thought about this. I plan on helping them, no matter what your foreknowledge says," he said angrily. "I know what it's like to be the last of your kind and if I can prevent another species from feeling that pain, then I will."

I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment. "That's the problem. You're letting your guilt cloud your judgement," I told him.

"My judgement isn't clouded. You think just because you have seen all this on tv that you know better than everyone else," the Doctor snapped. "Well, news flash, this isn't a tv show, this is all real. I've made up my mind and nothing you say is going to change it." With that he crossed his arms and went back to his deep thinking. I looked at him a hurt expression then sighed in defeat. I knew he was still suffering from the effects of the Time War, and the Gelth bringing it up didn't help the matter. I remembered that everything turned out all right in the show, but the Doctor was right, this wasn't a show, this was real. What would happen if something were to change drastically from the show and I wasn't able to do anything? I shook my head from my thoughts. I would cross that road when I came to it. I walked back over to Rose and Gwyneth, who was just waking up.

"It's all right. You just sleep," Rose said gently.

"But my angels, miss. They came, didn't they? They need me?" Gwyneth asked.

"They do need you, Gwyneth. You're they're only chance of survival," the Doctor told her.

"I've told you, leave her alone. She's exhausted and she's not fighting your battles," Rose said angrily. "Drink this." Rose handed Gwyneth a cup of water. I stood off to the side, watching Rose and the Doctor argue. I was trying my best to think of another way to save Gwyneth, but so far I was coming up empty.

"Well, what did you say, Doctor? Explain it again. What are they?" Mr. Sneed asked.

"Aliens," The Doctor replied.

"Like foreigners, you mean?"

"Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there." The Doctor gestured to the ceiling.

Mr. Sneed blinked in confusion. "Brecon?"

"Close. And they've been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff but the road's blocked. Only a few can get though and eve then they're weak. They can only test drive the bodies for so long, then they have to revert to gas and hide in the pipes," the Doctor explained.

"Which is why they need the girl," Dickens realized.

"They're not having her," Rose said angrily.

' _Certainly not if I can help it_ ,' I thought. Unfortunately, I still had yet to come up with a plan. Maybe I could somehow talk Gwyneth out of helping the Gelth. It was worth a try.

"But she can help. Living on the rift, she's became part of it. She can open it up, make a bridge and let them through," the Doctor retorted.

"Incredible. Ghosts that are not but beings from another world, who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers," Dickens said in awe.

"Good system," the Doctor complimented. "It might work."

"You can't let them run around inside of dead people," Rose protested.

"Why not? It's like recycling," the Doctor replied.

"Seriously though, you can't."

"Seriously though, I can."

"Shouldn't we ask Gwyneth?" I asked quietly, but I was ignored.

"It's just wrong. Those bodies were living people. We should respect them even in death," Rose argued.

"Do you carry a donor card?" The Doctor questioned.

"Doctor," I warned, but my warning fell on deaf ears.

"That's different. That's," Rose started.

"It is different, yeah. It's a different morality. Get used to it or go home," the Doctor said angrily. "You heard what they said, time's short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying."

"I don't care. They're not using her."

"Don't I get a say, miss?" Gwyneth pipped in.

"Look, you don't understand what's going on," Rose tried to explain.

"You would say that, miss, because that's very clear inside your head, that you think I'm stupid."

"That's not fair," Rose protested.

"It's true, though," Gwyneth replied. "Things might be very different where you're from, but here and now, I know my own mind, and the angels need me."

"Gwyneth, are you sure you want to do this?" I asked her gently. "I don't care what the Doctor and Rose say, I want to make sure this is your decision." I walked over to crouch in front of her, placing my hand over hers. "You've seen inside my head," I told her, lowering my voice so the others couldn't hear. "You've seen what will happen if you do this. Are you sure this is what you want to do? We would think no less of you if you didn't."

Gwyneth smiled at me softly. "You're right, I have seen what will happen, but I'm not afraid. This is something I must do." I stared at her for a moment then nodded sadly and stood straight. She turned to the Doctor. "Doctor, what do I have to do?"

The Doctor looked at Gwyneth and crossed his arms. "You don't have to do anything," he replied, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

"They've been singing to me since I was a child, sent by my mum on a holy mission. So tell me," Gwyneth demanded.

"We need to find the rift. This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other," the Doctor mussed, "Mister Sneed, what's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?"

"That would be the morgue," Mr. Sneed replied.

"No chance you were going to say gazebo, is there?" Rose joked. I gave her a strange look. I had never understood what she meant.

We made our way to the morgue. I glanced around nervously, knowing things were going to get nasty in a few minutes. "Urgh. Talk about Bleak House," the Doctor muttered. I rolled my eyes. I was still hurt from completely ignoring my advice.

"The thing is, Doctor, the Gelth don't succeed, 'cos I know they don't. I know for a fact there weren't corpses walking around in 1869," Rose said.

"Time can be rewritten, Rose," I told her.

"She's right. Time's in flux, changing every second. Your cozy little world can be rewritten like that," the Doctor explained with a snap of his fingers. "Nothing is safe. Remember that. Nothing."

"Doctor, I think the room is getting colder," Dickens noticed.

"Here they come," Rose said. The same Gelth we spoke to before came out of one of the gas lamps and floated underneath a stone archway.

"You've come to help. Praise the Doctor. Praise him," the Gleth cried.

"Promise you won't hurt her," Rose demanded.

"Hurry! Please, so little time. Pity the Gelth." I narrowed my eyes at the Gelth, noticing that it ignored Rose. No one else seemed to notice, however.

"I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies," the Doctor told the Gelth, "This isn't a permanent solution, all right?"

"My angels. I can help them live," Gwyneth said, watching the Gelth.

"Okay, where's the weak point?" The Doctor asked.

"Here, beneath the arch," the Gelth replied.

"Beneath the arch," Gwyneth repeated, as she walked over to the arch and stood underneath with the Gelth just behind her. I decided to make one last attempt to save Gwyneth.

I walked over to her. "I'm not going to stop you, Gwyneth, but are you sure you want to do this? It's not to late to turn back," I told her, hoping that she would change her mind.

She smiled softly and reached out to grab my hands in hers. "I have to do this. I'm the only one who can help them," Gwyneth said. She gave my hands a gentle squeeze and let go. I nodded sadly and stepped forward to give her a kiss on her forehead. I stepped back and stood next to the Doctor. A single tear slid down my cheek.

"You don't have to do this," Rose tried again.

"My angels," Gwyneth said softly.

"Establish the bridge. Reach out to the void. Let us through!" The Gelth cried.

Gwyneth tilted her head towards the ceiling. "Yes, I can see you. I can see you. Come!" She encouraged.

"Bridgehead establishing," the Gelth informed.

"Come to me. Come to this world, poor lost souls!"

"It is begun. The bridge is made," the Gelth said. Gwyneth opened her mouth and blue gas came pouring out. "She has given herself to the Gelth. The bridge is open. We descend." Suddenly, the blue colored Gelth behind Gwyneth turned red and bared its sharp teeth. "The Gelth will come through in force." Hordes of Gelth poured through the bridge and into the morgue.

"You said that you were few in number," Dickens accused.

"A few billion. And all of us in need of corpses," The Gelth corrected. They rushed into the corpses, who got up from their stone beds.

Mr. Sneed walked over to Gwyneth. "Gwyneth, stop this. Listen to your master. This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, and leave these things alone, I beg of you," he pleaded.

"Mister Sneed, get back!" Rose yelled. I ran forward to try and help him, but it was too late. One of the corpses grabbed Mr. Sneed and snapped his neck. The Gelth then poured into his mouth and he joined the other corpses.

"I think it's gone a little bit wrong," The Doctor said sheepishly.

I glared at him out of the corner of my eye while trying to keep an eye on the advancing corpses. "You think? I told we shouldn't have trusted them! But did you listen? No!" I shouted at him. He at least had the decency to look ashamed.

"I have joined the legions of the Gelth. Come, march with us," Mr. Sneed's corpse said.

"No," Dickens refused.

"We need bodies. All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead," the Gelth said.

"Gwyneth, stop them! You have to send them back now!" I cried.

"Four more bodies. Convert them. Make them vessels for the Gelth." The Gelth continued to advance, backing the Doctor, Rose, and I against a metal gate.

"Doctor, I can't. I'm sorry. This new world of yours is too much for me. I'm so..." Dickens stuttered and then proceeded to run out of the morgue. The Doctor quickly opened the metal gate behind us and ushered Rose and I inside before hurrying in himself and slamming it shut. The corpses stuck their arms through the bars, attempting to reach us.

"Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth."

"I trusted you. I pitied you!" The Doctor yelled, absolutely enraged.

"We don't want your pity. We want this world and all it's flesh."

"Not while I'm alive," the Doctor said defiantly.

"Then live no more," the Gelth replied.

"But I can't die. Tell me I can't. I haven't even been born yet. It's impossible for me to die. Isn't it?" Rose asked anxiously.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor replied sadly.

"But it's 1869. How can I die now?"

"Yeah. That's the funny thing about time travel. Not exactly a straight line. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth," I told her, not taking my eyes of the corpses still attempting to break through the gate. ' _Please don't let me die here_ ,' I thought desperately. ' _I haven't met Ten yet. Not that I want Nine to go. And I still want to meet Martha and Donna, oh and Jack. Though I guess I did meet him, sort of, but I want to meet him as Captain Jack._ '

"And it's all my fault. I brought you here." The Doctor said guiltily, breaking me out of my inner monologue.

"It's not your fault," Rose said and I nodded. "I wanted to come."

"What about me?" The Doctor complained. "I saw the fall of Troy, World War Five. I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party. Now I'm going to die in a dungeon," the Doctor pulled a disgusted face, "in Cardiff."

"Yeah, well, what about me?" I snapped. "I won't be able to tell my family goodbye. I was just wished away from my life and now I'm going to die without saying goodbye." Despite all the fun I've had traveling with the Doctor, I still missed my family. I wondered if they were worried about me or if I was just erased from time when I left. Guess I'll never find out.

"It's not just dying. We'll become one of them," Rose pointed out, gesturing with her head to the corpses still trying to reach us.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm not going down without a fight," I said determinedly.

"Yeah," they both agreed.

"Together?" Rose asked.

"Yeah." The Doctor repeated while I smiled. The Doctor, who was in between Rose and I, grabbed each of our hands. "I'm so glad I met you. Both of you," the Doctor said, looking at Rose then me. I smiled at him and squeezed his hand. It was hard to stay mad at him for long, especially when we were about to die.

"Me too," Rose agreed.

Just then, Dickens ran back in. "Doctor! Doctor! Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Now, fill the room, all of it, now!" He yelled frantically, running around the room and turning all the gas nobs on.

"What're you doing?" The Doctor asked.

"Turn it all on. Flood the place!"

"Brilliant. Gas," the Doctor said, seeming to realize something.

"What, so we choke to death instead?" Rose bit out.

"Am I correct, Doctor? These creatures are gaseous," Dickens inquired.

"Fill the room with gas, it'll draw them out of the host. Suck them into the air like poison from a wound!" The Doctor said excitedly. I nearly face palmed. Why hadn't I remembered that?! The corpses seemed to realize they had easier prey and turned to Dickens who had a handkerchief held over his mouth and nose.

"I hope, oh goodness, I hope that this theory will be validated soon, if not immediately," Dickens said nervously as the corpses began to advance towards him.

"Plenty more!" I yelled and ripped a gas pipe from the wall beside me. The corpses screamed as the Gleth were forced to leave them.

"It's working," Dickens said, relieved. The corpses collapsed. The Doctor, Rose, and I came out from our hiding place.

"Gwyneth, send them back. They lied. They're not angels," the Doctor told Gwyneth.

"Liars?" Gwyneth asked, hardly even reacting. She was hunched over as if she had spent all her energy. I covered my nose and mouth with my arm, attempting to keep the gas out of my lungs.

"Look at me," the Doctor said gently, "If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you the strength. Now send them back!"

"I can't breathe," Rose gasped.

"Charles, get them out." The Doctor said, not taking his eyes off Gwyneth. Dickens tried to grab Rose's arm, but she yanked it from his grip.

"I'm not leaving her," Rose protested.

"They're too strong," Gwyneth complained.

"Remember that world you saw? Rose and Elena's world? All those people. None of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift," the Doctor told her.

"I can't send them back. But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out." Gwyneth took out a box of matches from her apron pocket. Rose's eyes widened.

"You can't!" Rose screamed.

"Leave this place!" Gwyneth insisted.

"Elena, Rose, get out. Go now. I won't leave her while she's still in danger. Now go!" The Doctor yelled. Rose and Dickens left, but I hesitated.

"I can't leave either of you!" I begged.

"I'll be fine," the Doctor assured me. "I have to try and save Gwyneth, but you can't stay in here much longer. Now go. I'll catch up."

"You better. If you die in here, I'll kill you," I warned him. I glanced at Gwyneth sadly, knowing her fate, before running out of the morgue. I coughed as I ran through the hallway.

Finally, after what felt like forever, I made it outside. I took in deep breaths of the cool air. Rose and Dickens stood nearby, also gasping for air. I heard the front door open and turned my head just in time to get tackled to the ground by the Doctor as the house exploded. I rolled over and sat up, looking up at the house sadly. The Doctor stood up and reached a hand out for me. I took it and he helped me to my feet. The Doctor, Rose, Dickens, and I all looked back at the now burning house. "She didn't make it," Rose noticed.

"I'm sorry. She closed the rift," the Doctor apologized.

"At such a cost. The poor child," Dickens said sadly.

"I did try, Rose, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least five minutes," The Doctor said.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked, confused.

"She was dead from the moment she stood in that arch," I replied, tears filling my eyes as I started at the burning house. The Doctor wrapped am arm around my shoulders.

"But she can't have," Rose protested. "She spoke to us. She helped us. She saved us. How could she have done that?"

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy," Dickens replied. "Even for you, Doctor."

"She saved the world. A servant girl. No one will ever know," Rose said sadly.

"We'll know," I corrected quietly. ' _I'm sorry, Gwyneth. I'm so, so sorry_.'

I smiled as I spotted the TARDIS sitting on the snow covered ground. I walked up to her and gently stroked the side of the blue box. I felt her hum in my mind comfortingly. "Right then, Charlie boy, I've just got to go into my, er, shed. Won't be long," the Doctor said, pulling out his key.

"What are you going to do now?" Rose asked Dickens.

"I shall take the mail coach back to London, quite literally post-haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital," Dickens replied excitedly.

"You've cheered up," I noticed.

"Exceedingly!" Dickens grinned. "This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I've just started. All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor. I'm inspired. I must write about them."

"Do you think that's wise?" Rose questioned warily.

"I shall be subtle at first," Dickens replied. " _The Mystery of Edwin Drood_ still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle. Perhaps he was not of this Earth. _The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals_. I can spread the word, tell the truth." I chuckled quietly at Dickens enthusiasm.

"Good luck with it. Nice to meet you. Fantastic," the Doctor said, unlocking the TARDIS door.

"It was great not dying with you," I smiled. I shook Dickens's hand and turned to follow the Doctor.

"Bye, then, and thanks," Rose said. She shook Dickens's hand and then leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

"Oh, m-my dear," Dickens stuttered, but smiled nonetheless. "How modern. Thank you, but, I don't understand. In what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?"

"You'll see. In the shed." The Doctor went to enter the TARDIS again, but, once again, Dickens stopped him.

"Upon my soul, Doctor, it's one riddle after another with you," Dickens mused with a shake of his head. "But after all these revelations, there's one mystery you still haven't explained. Answer me this. Who are you?"

"Just a friend passing through," the Doctor replied simply.

"But you have such knowledge of future times. I don't wish to impose on you, but I must ask you. My books. Doctor, do they last?" Dickens asked apprehensively.

"Oh, yes!"

"For how long?"

"People will be reading your books for all of time," I told him, smiling. The Doctor nodded in agreement.

"Right. Shed. Come on, Elena, Rose." The Doctor opened the TARDIS door again.

Dickens frowned in confusion. "In the box? The three of you?" He asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "Just what are you insinuating?" Dickens blushed and stuttered. "I'm just kidding," I said, laughing. I waved goodbye. "See you." We entered the TARDIS and the Doctor ran to the console.

"Doesn't that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?" Rose asked.

"In a week's time it's 1870, and that's the year he dies," the Doctor informed her, watching Dickens through the monitor. "Sorry. He'll never get to tell his story."

"Oh, no. He was so nice," Rose complained.

"But in your time, he was already dead," I pointed out.

"But we've brought him back to life, and he's more alive now than he's ever been, old Charlie boy," the Doctor grinned. "Let's give him one last surprise." He pulled a lever and the TARDIS disappeared. We watched as Dickens eyes widened as he watched the police box disappear.

I sat cross-legged on my bed, having taken a shower and changed into my pajamas. I was currently trying to sketch the TARDIS. I wasn't very good, but I enjoyed drawing every now and then. I looked up when I heard a knock on my door. "Come in," I called. The door opened and the Doctor walked in. I turned back to my sketch and didn't look around when I felt the mattress dip as the Doctor sat down next to me. While I was no longer mad at the Doctor for having ignored my advice, I was still felling hurt from him yelling at me.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier. It was rude and I should have listened to you," he said.

I sighed and put down my pencil. "It wasn't the fact that you didn't listen that bothered me, though it certainly didn't help. What bothered me was what you said after you refused to listen to my advice," I replied, refusing to make eye contact with him and instead staring at my hands. "You accused me of thinking I know better than everyone else because I have seen this on tv. While yes, I have seen this all before, and yes, I know what is going to happen, or at least what should, and it's for that reason that I told you we shouldn't trust the Gelth. I knew they were lying, but I didn't want to tell you outright. I know that giving out certain information too soon could cause the universe to collapse or something." I looked up and met his eyes. I couldn't read the expression on his face. "I tried to give you a hint, not to stop the Gelth, but to try and save Gwyneth." Tears filled my eyes as I looked back at my hands. "But I didn't try hard enough. Gwyneth still died and it's my fault." I shut my eyes and brought my knees to my chest as I started to cry. The Doctor reached over and wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his chest. I turned and buried my face into his chest.

"Shush," he said softly, rubbing soothing circles on my back, "Gwyneth's death was not your fault. She made the choice to help the Gelth. If anything, it's my fault. I didn't listen to you and insisted we help the Gelth."

I calmed down a bit and looked up at him. "You don't need another death to feel guilty about," I told him quietly.

He smiled down at me. "My Elena, always looking out for me." I blushed when he said 'my' but smiled all the same. "So what do you say? Am I forgiven?"

"Always," I replied with a smile.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Professor Snape," he said. He kissed my forehead gently, causing me to blush even more, and got up from the bed. "Get some sleep, Elena. We got a big day tomorrow."

"It's always a big day tomorrow. We're time travelers, we can skip the small ones," I pointed out with a small smile.

He smiled back. "Goodnight, Elena," he said.

"Goodnight, Doctor." He left the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

* * *

 **I have added a couple of links to my profile with pictures of Elena's leather jacket and combat boots. I tried to get the link for the dress that she wears in this chapter, but no such luck yet. Please review and watch out for the next chapter.**


	5. Aliens of London

**Hello readers! Here is the next chapter. I want to thank all of those who have reviewed my story. It makes me happy knowing people like my story. I had a review asking who my favorite Doctor was. I would have to say Ten. He was the Doctor that got me hooked on the show. I started with Nine, but couldn't get interested. When I got to Ten, he hooked me in two episodes. I do love the rest of the Doctor's, though. (The new ones, haven't seen the classic.) I was worried I wasn't going to like Twelve, but he stole my heart in the first episode. He has earned a special place in my heart just like Nine, Ten, and Eleven. But enough talk, I'm sure you're eager to read the next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, just my oc.**

* * *

I walked into the console room to find Rose and the Doctor already there. I was wearing my usual dark skinny jeans and lace up combat boots, though this time they were folded down, revealing the purple plaid design on the inside. I wore a v-neck, fitted, green shirt with a silhouette of Bilbo Baggins running through the Shire with the words 'I'm going on an adventure' in yellow lettering. Around my neck, I wore the One Ring on a silver chain and my strawberry blonde hair was in its usual side braid. The Doctor looked up and smiled when he saw me.

"Right, off we go," he said, pulling a lever and sending us through the Time Vortex.

"We are we going?" I asked, walking around the console to stand next to him.

"We're stopping by Rose's place so she can grab a few things," the Doctor replied. We landed and Rose was the first one out the door. I grabbed my leather jacket and followed the Doctor out.

"How long have I been gone?" She asked, looking around.

"About twelve hours," the Doctor told her, crossing his arms and leaning against the TARDIS.

"Give or take," I shrugged.

"Oh. Right, I won't be long. I just want to see my mum," Rose said.

"What're you going to tell her?" The Doctor questioned.

"I don't know. I've been to the year 5 billion and only been gone, what, twelve hours?" Rose joked.

I giggled. "Yeah, that would go over well. When are visiting hours for the institution?"

"Shut up," Rose laughed. "No, I'll just tell her I spent the night at Shareen's. See you later." She started to walk off, but turned around. "Oh, don't you disappear," she said, pointing at us. I gave her shooing motion and she ran up the stairs to her flat.

I glanced around and spotted a flyer on a pole and walked over to investigate. I read the flyer and shook my head. "He's done it again," I muttered. "Doctor!" The Doctor walked over to me and read the flyer I was pointing to. The flyer said 'Rose Tyler has been missing from her home on the Powell Estate since 6th March 2005.' His eyes widen. Without saying a word he bolted after Rose.

We burst into the flat to see Rose hugging her mum. "It's not twelve hours, it's twelve months," the Doctor said, slightly out of breath. "You've been gone a whole year. Sorry." He grinned apologetically. I rolled my eyes and smacked his arm. He glanced at me sheepishly.

Rose sat in one of the chairs in the living room while the Doctor and I stood next to it. Jackie had called the police, who was now sitting in a chair across from Rose.

"The hours I've sat here, days and weeks and months, all on my own," Jackie said angrily, pacing back and forth. "I thought you were dead, and where were you? Traveling. What the heck does that mean, traveling? That's no sort of answer. You ask her," she said, gesturing to the policeman and leaning against the back of the chair. "She won't tell me. That's all she says. Traveling."

"That's what I was doing." Rose said, attempting to defend herself.

"When your passport's still in the drawer? It's just one lie after another," Jackie said, throwing her arms up in frustration.

"I meant to phone. I really did. I just...forgot," Rose replied hesitantly.

"What, for a year? You forgot for a year?" Jacket asked angrily, "And I am left sitting here. I just don't believe you. Why won't you tell me where you've been?"

"Actually, it's my fault," the Doctor pipped up. "I sort of er, employed Rose as my companion."

"When you say companion, is this a sexual relationship?" The policeman asked, glancing between the Doctor and Rose.

"No," the Doctor and Rose replied together.

"Then what is it?" Jackie asked, rounding on the Doctor. "Because you, you waltz in here all charm and smiles, and the next thing I know, she vanishes off the face of the Earth! How old are you then? Forty? Forty five? And what about her?" Jackie questioned, gesturing to me. "Did you grab her too? She's, what, 16? 17?"

I frowned in annoyance. Sometimes it was frustrating to look younger than I actually am. "I'm 22 actually, and no he didn't grab me," I replied, but Jackie ignored me.

"What, did you find her on the Internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?" Jackie asked accusingly.

"I am a Doctor," the Doctor protested.

"Prove it. Stitch this, mate!" Jackie then slapped the Doctor, causing him to stumble and cry out it pain. I bit my lip, trying hard not to laugh.

After the policeman left, Rose and Jackie went into the kitchen to talk. The Doctor and I made our way to the roof. I sat on the wall and swung my legs while the Doctor leaned against the wall next to me with his arms crossed. A while late, Rose joined us. She jumped up and sat on the wall on the other side of the Doctor.

"I can't tell her. I can't even begin," Rose complained, "She's never going to forgive me. And I missed a year. Was it good?"

"Middling," the Doctor said flatly.

"You're so useless," Rose said with a shake of her head.

"Well, if it's this much trouble, are you going to stay here now?" The Docked asked.

"I don't know," Rose replied, unsure. "I can't do that to her again, though."

"Well, I don't think it would be a good idea if she came with us," I said. Jackie on the the TARDIS? Yeah, that would go real well.

"No chance," Rose laughed.

"I don't do families," the Doctor said.

' _Not yet you don't_ ,' I thought in amusement. ' _Just wait until 11. He travels with his in-laws._ '

"She slapped you!" Rose laughed harder.

"Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother."

"Your face, though!" Rose exclaimed.

"She's right," I said, gripping the edge of the ledge I was sitting on to keep myself from falling off as I laughed. "Your face was hilarious."

"It hurt!" The Doctor defended, touching his cheek where Jackie had slapped him.

"Should I kiss it to make it better?" I teased. The Doctor glared at me and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"You're so gay," Rose laughed then paused. "When you say nine hundred years?" Rose questioned.

"That's my age." He replied.

"You're nine hundred years old," Rose deadpanned.

"Yeah."

"Not looking to bad for his age, huh?" I asked, giggling.

"My mum was right. That is one heck of an age gap," Rose said. She jumped down from her perch on the wall. "Every conversation with you two just goes mental. There's no one else I can talk to. I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and I'm the only person on planet Earth who knows they exist."

Suddenly, a deep horn sounded and a spaceship flew by overhead and we instinctively ducked. It appeared to be crashing as black smoke trailed behind it as it headed for the city. It just missed the bridge as it flew over the Thames. The engine backfired and sent the spaceship towards Big Ben. Big Ben chimed once as the spaceship took out one of its sides and crash landed into the Thames.

"Oh, that's just not fair," Rose complained. The Doctor grinned and I shook my head at his enthusiasm. The Doctor ran down to the street and headed in the direction of the ship.

The roads were jam packed with cars and people all trying to find out what was going on. The Doctor, Rose, and I stopped a few yards away from the military trucks that were blocking the road.

"It's blocked off," the Doctor stated.

I rolled my eyes. "Thank you, captain obvious," I said sarcastically.

"We're miles from the centre. The city must be grid locked. The whole of London must be closing down," Rose said.

"I know. I can't believe I'm here to see this. This is fantastic!" The Doctor said excitedly, trying to see around the military trucks. I didn't even bother trying. One, there was nothing to see and two, I was to short to see over anyone anyway.

"Did you know this was going to happen?" Rose asked.

"Nope," the Doctor replied.

"Yup," I replied, my hands clasped behind my back. Rose looked at me.

"You knew it was going to crash?" Rose questioned.

"I know a lot of things, Rose. I'm not from this universe, remember?" I had explained earlier that I'm from a parallel universe where this is all a tv show. She took it surprisingly well, but that could be because she thinks I'm joking, or crazy, or both.

"Do you recognize the ship?" She asked.

"Nope," the Doctor answered.

"Yup," I repeated.

"Do you know why it crashed?"

"Nope."

"Yup."

"Are you going to tell us?" Rose inquired, somewhat annoyed.

"Nope. You guys have to figure that out on your own. I don't interfere with the chain of events unless it's to save a life," I told her, rocking on the balls of my feet, hands clasped behind my back. "Besides, the Doctor likes working things out on his own."

"Oh, I'm so glad I've got you." Rose replied sarcastically.

"I bet you are," the Doctor said, not appearing to have caught the sarcasm. "This is what I travel for, Rose. To see history happening right in front of us."

"Well, let's go and see it. Never mind the traffic, we've got the Tardis," Rose suggested.

"Better not," the Doctor said, shaking his head, "They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London. I don't want to shove another one on top."

"Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No one's going to notice."

"You might be surprised what people would notice in an emergency like this," I told her.

"The Tardis stays where it is," The Doctor stated firmly.

"So history's happening and we're stuck here," Rose complained.

"Yes, we are," the Doctor said, still trying to see what was going on.

"We could always do what everybody else does. We could watch it on TV," Rose suggested. The Doctor looked down at her at her in confusion as if the idea of watching it on tv hadn't occurred to him before, which it probably hadn't. He looked back up and pulled a face at the thought of being like everyone else. I giggled at the look on his face.

We went back to the Tyler flat and turned on the news. The Doctor sat in the chair closest to the tv while I sat on the arm. Jackie was chatting happily with a friend she had invited over.

" **Big Ben destroyed as a UFO crash lands in Central London. Police reinforcements are drafted in from across the country to control widespread panic, looting and civil disturbance. A state of national emergency has been declared. Tom Hitchinson is at the scene** ," The reporter of the British news channel said. The camera switched to Hitchinson.

" **The police are urging the public not to panic. There's a help line number on screen right now if you're worried about friends or family** ," Hitchinson reported. The Doctor switched the channel to the American news channel.

" **The military are on the lookout for more spaceships. Until then, all flights in North American air space have been grounded,** " the woman reported. The Doctor switched back to the British news channel.

" **The army are sending divers into the wreck of the spaceship. No one knows what they're going to find,** " Hitchinson said. Back to the American news channel.

" **The President will address the nation live from the White House, but the Secretary General has asked that people watch the skies** ," the woman said.

Jackie came out of the kitchen with three mugs and handed them to Rose, her friend, and me. "Thanks," I told her, accepting the mug gratefully. I took a sip of the tea. I wasn't much of a tea drinker and preferred green tea when I did. Blueberry flavored green tea was a favorite of mine. What Jackie brought me wasn't too bad, but it was a little strong and not quite sweet enough. I liked my tea plenty sweet.

"I've got no choice," Jackie said to her friend.

"You've broken your mother's heart," Jackie's friend accused Rose.

"I'm not going to make him welcome," Jackie said defiantly. I raised an eyebrow. So she wasn't going to make the Doctor feel welcome, but she apparently had no problem with me. Then again, she probably still thought he kidnapped me. I shrugged and went back to watching the news.

"I cradled her like a child," Jackie's friend said.

"Oi, I'm trying to listen," the Doctor complained.

The camera cut to Hitchinson again. He reported that a body of non terrestrial origins was found in the wreckage. Jackie invited over more friends and it quickly turned into a party. People chatted loudly with each other making it hard to hear the news. The reporter stated that the body found in the wreckage was being brought to a secure UNIT mortuary. Suddenly, the channel changed, landing on a cooking show. I looked down in confusion to see the Doctor with a toddler on his lap giggling as the Doctor tried to wrestle the controller out of his hand. I smiled in amusement as I watched. The Doctor managed to grab the remote and changed back to the news.

" **Albion Hospital. We still don't know whether it's alive or dead. Whitehall is denying everything. But the body has been brought here, Albion Hospital. The road's closed off. It's the closest to the river,** " the reporter announced.

The toddler then walked in front of the tv, blocking the Doctor and I's view. "Go on," the Doctor urged the kid. I shook my head and smiled in amusement.

"Come here sweetheart," I said, gently picking up the child and settling him on my lap. I dug my fingers into his sides and the kid giggled and squirmed in an attempt to get away. I was too busy with tickling the kid that I didn't notice the Doctor watching me out of the corner of his eye with a soft smile on his face.

" **I'm being told that General Asquith is now entering the hospital. The building's been evacuated. The patients have been moved out onto the streets. The police still won't confirm the presence of an alien body contained inside those walls,** " the reporter continued. The kid jumped off my lap and ran over to his mother.

" **Mystery still surrounds there whereabouts of the Prime Minister. He's not been seen since the emergency began. The opposition are criticizing his lack of leadership, and. Hold on** ," the reporter paused as a car pulled up to Number 10 Downing Street, " **Oh, that's Joseph Green, MP for Hartley Dale. He's Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission. On the monitoring of sugar standards in exported confectionary. With respect, hardly the most important person right now.** "

The Doctor got up from his chair and gestured for me to follow him. We walked out of the flat. I heard a door open and Rose came out. "And where do you think you two are going?" She asked suspiciously.

"Nowhere. It's just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top-up cards for half price. I'm off on a wander, that's all," the Doctor told her.

"What about you?" She asked me.

"Well, I can't let him wander off by himself. Who knows what kind of trouble he could into," I replied with a shrug. The Doctor glared at me halfheartedly.

"Right. There's a spaceship on the Thames and you're just wandering," Rose stated, not believing us. I didn't blame her. After spending any amount of time with the Doctor, it was easy to tell he got off on things like this. He kind of reminded me of an alien version of Sherlock, only the Doctor social skills were a bit better then Sherlock's.

"Nothing to do with me. It's not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, color of smoke, everything. It's perfect," the Doctor said excitedly.

"Settle down there, Sherlock," I told him with a chuckle.

"So?" Rose questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"So maybe this is it. First contact. The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering because you've got to handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay. Now you can expand," he replied, grinning. "You don't need me. Go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum," he urged her.

"Promise you won't disappear?" Rose asked.

"I think it's about time she had a TARDIS key, don't you, Doctor?" I asked, nudging him.

"Right." He patted his jacket before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a key and handing it to Rose. "There you go. See you later." He grabbed my hand and we walked to the TARDIS.

"Oi, gorgeous! Come back and join the party!" A woman called from one of the flats, but the Doctor ignored her.

The Doctor put the TARDIS in flight. She sparked and wheezed in protest. The Doctor pulled out a hammer and started whacking away at the console. "You know, she doesn't like it when you do that," I scolded. He ignored me and grinned when the engines went back to their normal wheezing sound. He kissed the hammer. I shook my head at him. We landed and the Doctor ran to the doors. He walked out and I followed. We wound up squished together against some crates. I blushed at our close proximity. The Doctor didn't seem to notice as he unstuck himself and maneuvered over to the door. He activated his sonic screwdriver and immediately turned it off.

"Shush!" He told the sonic, putting a finger to his lips. I rolled my eyes. He really thought that was going to work? He unlocked the door and I followed him out into a hallway. We walked down the hallway and the Doctor opened a door. He stopped in the doorway and I poked my head around his arm to see why he had stopped. My eyes widened as I saw we had stumbled into a room full of UNIT soldiers. We stared at each other for moment before all the soldiers grabbed their guns and pointed us. The Doctor grinned. Suddenly, a screamed ripped through air. "Defense plan delta! Come on. Move! Move!" The Doctor yelled and took off toward the scream with the soldiers and I hot on his heels.

We got to the mortuary and found a young Asian medical examiner cowering behind a desk. She had a cut on her forehead. "It's alive!" She gasped. I walked over to her and knelt I front of her, putting my hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her.

"Spread out. Tell the perimeter it's a lockdown," the Doctor ordered the soldiers. They hesitated.

"My gosh. It's still alive," the woman said again.

"Do it!" The Doctor shouted at the soldiers. They ran out of the room.

"I swear it was dead," the M.E. said, still cowering on the ground.

"Coma, shock, hibernation, anything," the Doctor supplied. "What does it look like?" We heard the sound of metal clattering. "It's still here." The Doctor got down on his hands and knees and crawled towards the sounds. He poked his head around a cabinet. "Hello," he said. I heard a squeal and a pig in a spacesuit darted out on his hind legs. "Don't shoot!" The Doctor yelled at the soldier who had come back into the room. The soldier let the pig pass. I darted after the pig, determined to stop the other soldier from shooting it.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" I yelled to the soldiers. I ran past the pig and stopped a few feet in front of it. It stopped in its tracts and looked around nervously. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay," I told the pig softly, holding my hands up. "Look, we won't hurt you." I slowly approached the pig, making sure to keep my hands where it could see them. I knelt down in front of it and reached out slowly. The pig flinched away from my hand. "It's all right. I'm here to help you," I told him softly. I gently placed my hand on the side of its head and he seemed to relax a bit. The Doctor came running around the corner. He stopped when he saw me petting the pig. He walked over to me. I looked up at him and smiled. "It was just scared," I said, scratching the pig behind its ear. The Doctor smiled at me.

"Come on. Let's get it back into the lab so we can examine it," he said. I nodded and stood up. I gently grabbed the pig's hoof.

"Come on, we're going to look after you," I told it. It trotted after me as I followed the Doctor, the soldiers staring at us as we passed.

"I just assumed that's what aliens look like, but you're saying it's an ordinary pig from Earth," the woman from earlier said.

"More like a mermaid. Victorian showmen used to draw the crowds by taking the skull of a cat, gluing it to a fish and calling it a mermaid," the Doctor said angrily, watching me as I soothed the still scared pig. "Now someone's taken a pig, opened up it's brain, stuck bits on, then they've strapped it in that ship and made it dive bomb. It must've been terrified. They've taken this animal and turned it into a joke."

"Wilbur," I said. The Doctor and the woman looked at me confused.

"What?" The Doctor asked.

"Wilbur," I said again. "That's his name. He needed a name. We couldn't just keep calling him 'it' or 'the pig'."

"You're not keeping the pig," the Doctor said.

"Wilbur," I stated again, "and yes, I know I can't keep him, but you," I turned to the woman, " what's your name?"

"Call me Sato," she said.

"Okay, Sato, you can look after Wilbur."

"Me?" The M.E. asked, shocked.

"Yes, you," I told her. "I can't take him with me, so you will have to watch him. No experimenting on him though," I warned. "He's had enough of that. If anything goes wrong, get him and yourself out, okay?" She nodded.

"So it's a fake, a pretend, like the mermaid. But the technology augmenting its brain, it's like nothing on Earth. It's alien." That was the last the Doctor and I heard as we left.

"Too bad Ducky works for NCIS," I said as we sat in the TARDIS. "I bet he could have come up with some sort of 'this reminds me of the time' stories of his."

The Doctor glanced at me. "You know Ducky is just a tv character, right," he asked.

"I thought that you were just a tv character," I told him. "So who's to say there isn't a parallel universe out there where Ducky and the rest of the NCIS team are real?"

"Touché," he replied.

We landed back at the Powell Estate and Rose came in.

"All right, so I lied. We went and had a look," the Doctor said, not looking up from the computer screen. "But the whole crash landing's a fake. I thought so. Just too perfect. I mean, hitting Big Ben. Come on, so I thought let's go and have a look."

"My mum's here," Rose said quietly, as Jackie walked in, staring around in disbelief.

"Oh, that's just what I need. Don't you dare make this place domestic," the Doctor told Rose. I smacked his arm. "What was that for?" He asked, holding his arm.

"You we're being rude," I scolded. Just then Mickey walked in.

"You ruined my life, Doctor," Mickey said, pointing accusingly at the Doctor. "They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you."

"You see what I mean? Domestic," the Doctor said. I rolled my eyes.

"I bet you don't even remember my name," Mickey challenged.

"Ricky," the Doctor stated.

"It's Mickey," Mickey corrected, annoyed.

"No, it's Ricky."

"I think I know my own name," Mickey replied angrily.

"You think you know your own name? How stupid are you?" The Doctor questioned.

I smacked him again. "Rude."

Jackie ran out of the TARDIS, unable to take it anymore. "Mum, don't!" Rose called. She turned to the Doctor and I. "Don't go anywhere." She turned to Mickey. "Don't start a fight!"

"Don't worry, Rose. I got this," I assured her. She smiled at me then ran after Jackie. A moment later she ran back in. The Doctor and I were looking at the computer, trying to find where the spaceship came from.

"That was a real spaceship?" Rose asked.

"Yep," I stated, popping the p.

"So it's all a pack of lies? What is it, then? Are they invading?" Rose questioned.

"Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert," Mickey commented.

"Good point!" The Doctor complimented. "So, what're they up to?"

Rose was watching the news on the desktop screen while the Doctor was working on the TARDIS. He was lying under the grating with the sonic in his mouth while I sat next to him.

"So, what're you doing down there?" Mickey asked him.

"Ricky," the Doctor mumbled through the sonic.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," I scolded him, taking the sonic out of his mouth.

"Mickey," Mickey corrected again.

"Ricky," the Doctor repeated. Mickey glared at him. "If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?" The Doctor inquired.

"I suppose not," Mickey said conceded.

"Well, shut it, then." I smacked the Doctor's leg.

"You're being rude again," I told him. "Just ignore him, Mickey."

Mickey walked over to Rose. "Some friend you've got," he told her.

"He's winding you up. I am sorry," Rose apologized. I tuned out their conversation.

"You really do need to stop winding him up," I told the Doctor.

"Why? It's such good fun." I sighed "Got it! Ha, ha!" He cried excitedly. "Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of that spaceship. Here we go. Hold on. Come on." We all darted over to look at the monitor. "That's the spaceship on its way to Earth, see?" We watched as a line showed the spaceship's path on the way to Earth. "Except. Hold on. See?" The line came back around the Earth. "The spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed," the Doctor explained.

"What does that mean?" Rose asked.

"It means it came from Earth in the first place. It went up and came back down," I informed her.

The Doctor nodded. "Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived, they've been here for a while. The question is, what have they been doing?" The Doctor mused.

Mickey and Rose started flipping through the different channels.

"How many channels do you get?" Mickey asked.

"All the basic packages," the Doctor told him, watching the monitor with crossed arms.

"You get sports channels?"

"Yes, we get football," I told him amusedly. "Honestly, boys and their sports."

"Hold on, I know that lot," the Doctor said pointing at the monitor.

" **It is looking likely that the Government's bringing in alien specialists - those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space,** " a woman on tv said.

I watched as the soldiers marched along. "Is that..." I asked, glancing at the Doctor for confirmation.

He nodded. "UNIT. United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Good people," the Doctor said.

"How do you know them?" Rose questioned.

"'Cos he's worked for them. Oh yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you," Mickey said smugly. "You look deep enough on the Internet or in the history books, and there's his name, followed by a list of the dead."

"That's nice. Good boy, Ricky," the Doctor said sarcastically.

' _Way to bring up a painful subject, Mickey_ ,' I thought.

"If you know them, why don't you go and help?" Rose asked.

"They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix," the Doctor replied, gesturing to himself. "Elena and I are going undercover. And er, I'd better keep the Tardis out of sight. Ricky, you've got a car. You can do some driving."

"Where to?" Mickey inquired, confused.

"The roads are clearing. Let's go and have a look at that spaceship," the Doctor replied, grinning.

We walked out of the TARDIS and straight into a spotlight. We were surrounded by police cars and police with their guns trained on us. " **Do not move! Step away from the box and raise your hands above your heads,** " a voice from the helicopter above us demanded. Mickey glanced around frantically before making a run for it. Some of the police ran after him. Jackie came running out.

"Rose!" Jackie yelled. A couple of soldiers held her back. "Rose!" She yelled again. I rolled my eyes. What exactly did she think was going to happen when she told the police she had seen an alien, when they already had a spaceship on their hands?

" **Raise your hands above your head. You are under arrest,** " the police from the copter said.

"Take me to your leader," the Doctor grinned, putting his hands up. I shook my head in exasperation.

We were loaded into a car. Me in the middle, since I was the smallest, and Rose and the Doctor on either side of me. "This is a bit posh," Rose commented, taking in the leather seats. "If I knew it was going to be like this, being arrested, I would have done it years ago."

"We're not being arrested, we're being escorted," the Doctor informed her.

"Where to?" She asked.

"Where'd you think?" The Doctor asked, grinning. "Downing Street."

"You're kidding," Rose said disbelievingly.

"I'm not," the Doctor assured her.

"10 Downing Street?"

"That's the one," the Doctor nodded.

"Oh, my gosh. I'm going to 10 Downing Street? How come?" Rose asked.

"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, er, noticed," the Doctor replied.

"Now they need you?"

"Like it said on the news. They're gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert of the lot?" The Doctor asked, a smug grin on his face.

"Patrick Moore?" Rose asked.

"Apart from him," the Doctor said indignantly. I bit my lip, trying not to smile.

"Oh, don't you just love it," Rose said, grinning happily.

"I'm telling you. Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table," the Doctor laughed. "Who's the Prime Minister now?"

"How should I know? I missed a year," Rose reminded him.

"Um, sorry," I piped up, "American here. What's Downing Street?"

"Downing Street is the headquarters for the executive branch of the British government," the Doctor informed me.

"Oh," I replied.

We arrived at Number Ten and we all got out. Cameras flashed and reporters jostled each other trying to ask us questions. The Doctor just grinned and waved. I shook my head as he showed off for the cameras.

"Oh, my gosh," Rose gasped.

We walked inside were there was large group of people waiting. The alien experts, I guessed. "Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene? Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times," a man said. He walked over to the Doctor and handed him an ID card.

"Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, your companions don't have clearance," he said turning to Rose and I.

"I don't go anywhere without them," the Doctor informed him.

"You're the code nine, not them." I suppressed a giggle at the fact that the Doctor was a code nine and was also on his ninth body, though technically it was his tenth if you counted the War Doctor. "I'm sorry, Doctor. It is the Doctor, isn't it? They'll have to stay outside."

"They're staying with me," the Doctor stated firmly.

"Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let them in and that's a fact," the man said.

"Its fine, Doctor," I told him, placing a hand on his arm. "Rose and I will stay out here." I leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Though you may want to take off the ID. It's electrified. You'll need to try and get the IDs off everyone else." He nodded and I patted his arm. Just then Harriet Jones walked up.

"Excuse me. Are you the Doctor?" She asked the Doctor.

"Sure?" He asked me, ignoring Harriet.

"We'll be fine," I assured him.

"Not now. We're busy. Can't you go home?" The man said exasperatedly.

"I just need a word in private," Harriet insisted.

"I suppose so," the Doctor conceded. "Don't get in any trouble," he told me.

I shook my head. "It's you that needs to stay out of trouble." The Doctor grinned and left.

"You haven't got clearance. Now leave it," the man told Harriet before turning to Rose and I. "I'm going to have to leave you two with security."

"It's all right. I'll look after them. Let me be of some use," Harriet offered. She guided Rose and I through the hall. "Walk with me. Just keep walking." We passed by a few soldiers and Rose turned to look. "That's right. Don't look round. Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North." She flashed her ID to each of us. "This friend of yours, he's an expert, is that right? He knows about aliens?" Harriet asked anxiously.

"Why do you want to know?" Rose asked suspiciously. Harriet started crying and I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"There, there. It's all right," I told her calmly. "Why don't you tell us what's wrong."

Harriet sniffed. "It would be easier if I showed you." She led us to the cabinet room where she pulled a skin suit out of the closet. "They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside!"

"It's all right. We believe you. It's, it's alien," Rose said. "They must have some serious technology behind this. If we could find it, we could use it." She began to search the room for any alien technology. She opened a cupboard and a man's body fell out. Rose jumped back in surprise. "Oh, my gosh! Is that the-" Rose started, but the man from earlier came in, interrupting her.

"Harriet, for goodness sake. This has gone beyond a joke. You cannot just wander-" He stopped mid sentence as he noticed the body. "Oh, my gosh. That's the Prime Minister!"

"Oh! Has someone been naughty?" We looked up to see Margaret closing the cabinet room door with a sinister smile on her face.

"That's impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!" The man cried.

"And who told you that, hmm? Me," Margaret grinned. She reached up under her hairline and pulled at a zipper.

We watched in horror as Margaret pulled down her suit, revealing her alien form. She wiggled her fingers in relief. Once she was completely out of her suit she stood nearly eight feet tall. She grabbed the man in her talons and pushed him up the wall. He cried out in pain. I couldn't stand by and watch someone die, not if there was something I could do about it. I glanced around quickly, looking for something to use against Margaret. I grabbed a chair and threw it with all my might, which wasn't much to be honest, I seriously need to work out, at Margaret. The chair smacked her and she hissed, dropping the man. The man ran over to stand with Rose, Harriet, and I. Margaret turned towards me and hissed.

' _Any time now, Doctor_ ,' I thought desperately, backing away slowly as Margaret advanced.

* * *

 **Please review and let me know what you think.**


	6. World War Three

**Hello readers! I bring to you the sixth chapter of this story. With Christmas fast approaching I don't know how often I will be able to update. I will do my best to continue to update every three days. I just finished 'The Doctor Dances' and I will be reviewing my other chapters to get them ready to post. Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed!**

* * *

 **Previously:**

' _Any time now, Doctor_ ,' I thought desperately, backing away slowly as Margaret advanced.

* * *

Suddenly, electricity enveloped Margaret, causing her to roar and convulse in pain.

"Come on!" I yelled to the others. They wasted no time in running past the alien. I was the last to pass her, making sure the others got by safely. Just as I passed, Margaret swung her claws around and managed to catch me in the side. I cried out as I stumbled into the table, but I didn't stop. I turned to the man once we got out of the cabinet room. "Get out! Get everyone out! We'll handle this!" I told him. He hesitated for a moment before nodding and running off. I caught up with Harriet and Rose.

"No, wait," Harriet said, stopping. "They're still in there. The Emergency Protocols. We need them." Just then, Margaret burst through the door and we took off down the hall. The Slitheen chased us through a series of rooms. We stopped at a door and struggled to get it open in our haste to get away from Margaret. I heard the elevator ding and turned to see the Doctor standing there.

"Hello!" The Doctor waved to the Slitheen that had been bearing down on us, distracting it just long enough for us to get the door open. We ran into what appeared to be a sitting room.

"Hide!" Rose yelled. Rose hide behind a cabinet, Harriet behind a screen, and me behind the couch. I winced and placed a hand to my side. I pulled my hand away to find it covered in blood. I quickly put my hand back on my wound as I heard Margaret enter the room.

"Oh, such fun. Little human children, where are you? Sweet little humeykins, come to me. Let me kiss you better. Kiss you with my big, green lips," she said sweetly, making kissing noises. I pulled a disgusted face. "My brothers," Margaret said as two more Slitheen entered the room.

"Happy hunting?" One asked.

"It's wonderful. The more you prolong it, the more they stink," Margaret replied gleefully.

"Sweat and fear," the other Slitheen said.

"I can smell an old girl. Stale bird and brittle bones," the first one said.

"And a ripe youngster, all hormones and adrenalin. Fresh enough to bend before she snaps," Margaret said.

"And one wounded," the second brother said, "she will be easy to catch."

I heard Rose scream as Margaret pulled back the curtain she had hidden behind. I jumped up, ignoring the pain in my side. "Hey! Leave her alone!" I yelled and the Slitheen turned towards me. "Take me."

"No! Take me first! Take me!" Harriet yelled, jumping out from her hiding place with her arms raised, gaining the Slitheen's attention. The Doctor came running in with a fire extinguisher. He sprayed one of the male Slitheen in the face.

"Out, with me!" He yelled. Rose pulled the curtain down over Margaret's head before all three of us ran behind the Doctor.

"Who the heck are you?" The Doctor asked Harriet.

"Rude!" I yell at him.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North." Harriet replied.

"Nice to meet you," the Doctor greeted quickly.

"Likewise." The Doctor sprayed the Slitheen again and we all ran out.

"We need to head to the Cabinet Room," the Doctor said.

"The Emergency Protocols are in there. They give instructions for aliens," Harriet informed him as we followed him down the hall.

"Harriet Jones, I like you."

"And I like you too," Harriet replied with a grin.

We ran through a series of doors and hallways. I did my best to ignore the pain in my side, but it was getting harder to ignore. We ran into the cabinet room and the Doctor gabbed a bottle of alcohol.

"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol," he said, holding his sonic screwdriver threateningly to the bottle. "Whoof, we all go up. So back off." The Slitheen backed up a step. "Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens," Harriet stated matter of factly.

"Yes. I got that, thanks," the Doctor replied sarcastically.

"Who are you, if not human?" One of the males asked.

"Who's not human?" Harriet asked, confused.

"He's not human," Rose gestured to the Doctor.

"He's not human?" Harriet gasped, disbelievingly.

"Can I have a bit of hush?" The Doctor scolded.

"Sorry," Harriet apologized.

"So, what's the plan?" The Doctor asked, turning back to the Slitheen.

"But he's got a Northern accent," Harriet pointed out.

"Lots of planets have a north," I said, breathing hard and leaning against the wall.

"I said hush," the Doctor said again, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. "Come on. You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government. What for, invasion?"

"Why would we invade this God-forsaken rock?" The other male Slitheen scoffed.

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here. What is it?"

"The Slitheen race?" The second male Slitheen scoffed.

"Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day-Slitheen at your service," the first male Slitheen informed us.

"So, you're family," the Doctor noted.

"A family business," the first male replied.

"Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a God-forsaken rock?"

"Ah, excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability? The second male inquired.

The Doctor blinked. "Is that what I said?"

"You're making it up," the second male accused.

"He tends to do that a lot," I said, still leaning heavily against the wall with a hand pressed to my right side. I could feel warm blood beginning to seep through my fingers.

"Ah, well!" The Doctor shrugged. "Nice try. Harriet, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it," the Doctor said handing the bottle to Harriet.

"You pass it to the left first," Harriet said, clutching the Emergency Protocols to her chest.

"Sorry." He passed it to Rose.

"Thanks," she said, taking the bottle.

"Now we can end this hunt with a slaughter," the second Slitheen said gleefully.

"Don't you think we should run?" Rose asked worriedly.

"Fascinating history, Downing Street," the Doctor began, crossing his arms. "Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mister Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the Cabinet Room. If the Cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four most safest walls in the whole of Great Britain. End of lesson." He lifted up a small panel on the wall and pressed a button. Metal shutters clamped shut on all the windows and doors. "Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in." He grinned.

"But now we can't get out, numbskull," I bit out. My wound was really starting to bother me.

The Doctor glanced around, his smile fading somewhat. "Ah."

The Doctor dragged the prime minister's body into a small store room. I was sitting in one of the chairs, doing my best to hide my pain. "Right, what have we got? Any terminals, anything?" He asked.

"No. This place is antique. What I don't get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?" Rose asked.

"He's too slim. They're big old beasts. They need to fit inside big humans," the Doctor replied.

"But the Slitheen are about eight feet. How do they fit inside?"

"That's the device around their necks. Compression field. Literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas. It's a big exchange," the Doctor explained.

"Wish I had a compression field. I could fit a size smaller," Rose joked.

"Excuse me, people are dead! This is not the time for making joke," Harriet scolded. Rose hung her head.

"Sorry. You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him."

"Well, that's a strange friendship," Harriet commented.

"Yes, well, he's a strange man," I shrugged.

"Harriet Jones. I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones," the Doctor mused. "You're not famous for anything, are you?"

"Oh, hardly," she dismissed.

"Rings a bell. Harriet Jones?" The Doctor mused.

"Lifelong backbencher I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being now. The Protocols are redundant. They list the people who could help and they're all dead downstairs."

"Hasn't it got, like, defense codes and things? Couldn't we just launch a nuclear bomb at them?" Rose asked.

'Why is it that humans tend to go for the more violent route?' I thought with a sigh.

"You're a very violent young woman," Harriet commented.

"I'm serious," Rose protested. "We could."

"Well, there's nothing like that in here. Nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it's kept secret by the United Nations," Harriet explained.

"Say that again," the Doctor said, interrupting Harriet.

"What, about the codes?" She questioned, confused.

"Anything. All of it."

"Well," she began, "the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a Special Resolution from the UN."

"Like that's ever stopped them," Rose scoffed.

"Exactly, given our past record. And I voted against that, thank you very much," Harriet said proudly, "The codes have been taken out of the government's hands and given to the UN. Is it important?"

"Everything's important," the Doctor said, eyeing me. I still had my hand over my wound as I was watching the three of them talking.

"If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted. Listen to me," Harriet commented. "I'm saying Slitheen as if it's normal."

"What do they want, though?" Rose wondered.

"Well, they're just one family, so it's not an invasion. They don't want Slitheen World They're out to make money. That means they want to use something. Something here on Earth. Some kind of asset," the Doctor mused.

"Like what, gold? Oil? Water?" Harriet suggested.

"You're very good at this," the Doctor complimented.

"Thank you," Harriet smiled, a bit embarrassed.

"Harriet Jones. Why do I know that name?" The Doctor wondered, leaning on the table. We all glanced around around as a phone beeped.

"Oh, that's me," Rose realized, pulling out her phone.

"But we're sealed off. How did you get a signal?" Harriet asked incredulously.

"He zapped it. Super phone," Rose gestured to the Doctor with her phone.

"Then we can phone for help. You must have contacts," Harriet said excitedly.

"Dead downstairs, yeah," the Doctor said bitterly. "Sorry," he turned to me.

I shrugged and shook my head sadly. "You did what you could. If anything it was my fault. I knew that was going to happen, yet I hardly did anything to stop it."

The Doctor shook his head. "It was not your fault. You can only say so much without risking blowing a hole in the universe. Though it would have been nice if you had mentioned the Slitheen."

I sighed. "Sorry, sort of forgot to mention that." I was in too much pain to feel guilty at the moment.

The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I replied quickly. The Doctor raised an eyebrow and was about to say something when he was interrupted by Rose.

"It's Mickey."

"Oh, tell your stupid boyfriend we're busy," the Doctor said curtly.

"Doctor," I warned.

"Yeah, he's not so stupid after all." Rose held up her phone showing us the picture of a Slitheen Mickey had managed to get. She quickly called her boyfriend.

" **No, no, no, no, no. Not just alien, but like, proper alien. All stinking, and wet, and disgusting. And more to the point, it wanted to kill us!** " Mickey cried through the phone.

" **I could've died!** " I heard Jackie call.

"Is she all right, though?" Rose asked, concerned. "Don't put her on, just tell me." The Doctor grabbed the phone from Rose.

"Is that Ricky? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer," the Doctor said.

" **It's Mickey, and why should I?** " Mickey asked.

"Mickey the Idiot, I might just choke before I finish this sentence, but, er, I need you," the Doctor said hesitantly.

" **It says password** ," Mickey said. The Doctor plugged Rose's phone into the conference phone speaker.

"Say again," the Doctor told Mickey, having missed his last sentence.

" **It's asking for the password** ," Mickey repeated.

"Buffalo. Two Fs, one L."

" **So, what's that website?** " Jackie asked curiously.

" **All the secret information known to mankind. See, they've known about aliens for years. They just kept us in the dark** ," Mickey explained.

"Mickey, you were born in the dark," the Doctor said.

"Oh, leave him alone." Rose scolded.

" **Thank you. Password again.** "

"Just repeat it every time," the Doctor told Mickey. "Big Ben - why did the Slitheen go and hit Big Ben?"

"You said to gather the experts, to kill them," Harriet said.

"That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon," the Doctor dismissed. "You don't need to crash land in the middle of London."

"The Slitheen are hiding, but then they put the entire planet on Red alert. What would they do that for?" Rose wondered.

" **Oh, listen to her** ," Jackie mocked.

"At least I'm trying," Rose protested.

" **Well, I've got a question, if you don't mind** ," Jackie said. " **Since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room, and my daughter disappear off the face of the Earth,** " Jackie stated accusingly.

"I told you what happened," Rose tried.

" **I'm talking to him. 'Cos I've seen this life of yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it, and maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this. Is my daughter safe?** " Jackie asked.

"I'm fine," Rose said.

" **Is she safe? Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that?** "

"Jackie, no one can promise you that," I told her. "The world is a dangerous place and would be even worse if the Doctor weren't here. No one will ever be able to promise the safety of your daughter, except me." I leaned forward in my seat, trying my best not to wince as everyone was watching me. "I know what is supposed to happen, therefore, I can guarantee Rose's safety." The Doctor stared at me with an unreadable expression.

" **We're in,** " Mickey reported.

The Doctor blinked and turned his attention to Mickey. "Now then, on the left at the top, there's a tab, an icon. Little concentric circles. Click on that," the Doctor instructed. We headed Mickey clicking away and then a weird noise came through.

" **What is it?** " Mickey inquired.

"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal. Now hush, let me work out what it's saying," the Doctor shushed. "It's some sort of message."

"What's it say?" Rose asked.

"Don't know. It's on a loop, keeps repeating," the Doctor commented. Mickey's doorbell rang. "Hush!"

" **That's not me. Go and see who that is** ," Mickey told Jackie.

" **It's three o'clock in the morning,** " Jackie complained.

" **Well, go and tell them that,** " Mickey ordered.

"It's beaming out into space, who's it for?" The Doctor wondered.

" **All right!** " We heard Jackie call from the hallway. It was silent for a moment and then a door slammed. " **It's him! It's the thing, it's the Slipeen!** " Jackie yelled.

" **They've found us,** " Mickey gasped.

"Mickey, I need that signal," the Doctor insisted.

"Never mind the signal, get out! Mum, just get out! Get out!" Rose screamed into the phone.

" **We can't. It's by the front door,** " Mickey informed us. " **Oh, my gosh, it's unmasking. It's going to kill us.** "

"There's got to be some way of stopping them! You're supposed to be the expert, think of something!" Harriet accused the Doctor.

"I'm trying!" The Doctor protested.

" **I'll take it on, Jackie. You just run. Don't look back. Just run,** " Mickey said.

"That's my mother," Rose reminded the Doctor worriedly.

"Right, If we're going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they're from." The Doctor ran around to the head of the table. "Which planet. So, judging by their basic shape, that narrows it down to five thousand planets within traveling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!" He demanded.

"They're green," Rose said quickly.

"Yep, narrows it down," the Doctor replied.

"Good sense of smell."

"Narrows it down."

"They can smell adrenalin."

"Narrows it down."

"The pig technology," Harriet pipped up.

"Narrows it down."

"The spaceship in the Thames, you said slipstream engine?" Rose said, thinking for a moment.

"Narrows it down."

" **It's getting in!** " Mickey called through the phone.

"Oh, for goodness sake," I muttered irritably, the pain from my wound getting on my nerves. "Doctor, their farts don't smell like a regular fart, they smell like bad breath." I watched his eyes light up as it seemed to click where the Slitheen were from. "It's calcium decay. They're from Raxacoricofallapatorius!" The Doctor grinned at me.

"Brilliant!" The Doctor cried happily.

" **Oh, yeah, great. We could write 'em a letter,** " Mickey bit out.

"Mickey, get to the kitchen and find anything with vinegar!" I told him.

"Just like Hannibal!" Harriet smiled.

" **Why do I need vinegar?** " Mickey asked.

"Just do it!" I snapped. The Doctor glanced at me. I was usually able to keep a level head during these kinds of situations, but the pain from my wound had shorted my patience fuse.

" **Oh, give it here,** " Jackie said, taking the phone from Mickey. " **What do you need?** "

"Anything with vinegar!" The Doctor told her.

" **Gherkins. Yeah, pickled onions. Pickled eggs,** " Jackie said, dumping each item in a pitcher.

"And you kiss this man?" The Doctor asked Rose with a disgusted look on his face.

We heard the Slitheen break in and Jackie threw the pitcher of vinegar on it.

"You guys may want to watch out for the," I started, but before I could finish we heard an explosion, "...explosion," I finished.

"Hannibal?" Rose asked.

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar," Harriet supplied.

"Oh. Well, there you go then," Rose said, raising her glass. We all toasted the moment with the small glasses of alcohol Harriet had passed out. We each took a drink, but the Doctor and I immediately spit the alcohol back into our glasses.

We turned when he heard Mickey's voice. " **Listen to this.** "

" **Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and they have found massive weapons of destruction capable of being deployed within forty five seconds,** " one of the Slitheen in his human disguise said on tv.

"What?" The Doctor asked incredulously.

" **Our technicians can baffle the alien probes, but not for long. We are facing extinction, unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg of the United Nations, pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes. A nuclear strike at the heart of the beast is our only chance of survival because from this moment on it is my solemn duty to inform you planet Earth is at war,** " the disguised Slitheen finished.

"He's making it up. There's no weapons up there, there's no threat. He just invented it," the Doctor said.

"Do you think they'll believe him?" Harriet asked.

"They did last time," Rose stated.

"That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They want the whole world panicking, because you lot, you get scared, you lash out," the Doctor said in annoyance.

"They release the defense code," Rose realized.

"And the Slitheen go nuclear," Doctor finished.

"But why?" Harriet wondered.

The Doctor opened the metal shutters. "You get the codes, release the missiles, but not into space because there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth. They retaliate, fight back. World War Three. Whole planet gets nuked," he said to the Slitheen standing outside. Margaret was back in her skin suit.

"And we can sit through it safe in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed, just parked. Only two minutes away," Margaret explained with a sinister smile.

"But you'll destroy the planet, this beautiful place. What for?" Harriet asked, horrified.

"Profit," I growled. "That's what the signal is beaming into space. An advert."

"The sale of the century," Margaret replied with a smirk, "We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it piece by piece. Radioactive chucks, capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel."

"At the cost of five billion lives," the Doctor said darkly.

"Bargain," Margaret stated.

"I give you a choice. Leave this planet or I'll stop you."

"What, you?" Margaret mocked, stepping closer to the Doctor. "Trapped in your box?"

"Yes. Me," the Doctor stated simply. He closed the shutters again staring darkly at Margaret. Margaret's smile faded and she began to look worried. I walked slowly back to my chair and sat down carefully. The Doctor approached me.

"You all right? You've been rather quiet," he commented.

"I'm fine," I said, even though I was far from fine. My side was throbbing painfully and I was beginning to feel a little light headed from blood loss. The Doctor, however, didn't believe me. He knelt down in front of me.

"You're lying. I can tell you're not fine. What's wrong?" He asked gently, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Nothing," I tried again, refusing to make eye contact. The Doctor then noticed a bit of blood leaking through my fingers, which were still pressed to my side.

"Let me see," he said, reaching forward to move my hand. I went to protest, but one look from him and I gave in. I let him move my hand, revealing the nasty gash I had received from Margaret. He examined it carefully. "What happened?" He asked.

"Margaret got mad at me for letting her lunch get away," I told him, wincing as he touched a tender spot.

His eyes darkened. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He asked, still examining my side.

"Cause we had more important things to worry about, what with the Slitheen trying to blow up the Earth." I wanted to make sure he would focus on the problem at hand and not be worrying over me.

The Doctor looked up at me. "You are important," he told me. "I'll need to clean that and bandage it so it doesn't get infected." He patted his pockets and pulled out a first-aid kit. I raised and eyebrow. When did he start carrying a first-aid kit? He helped me out of my jacket and lifted my shirt just enough to get access to my wound. "I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt," he warned. I nodded. I gritted my teeth in pain as he cleaned the wound, my knuckles white against the arms of my chair. He finished bandaging the wound and put the kit back in his pocket. "That's the best I can do until we can get back to the TARDIS. This should take the edge of for a while." He handed me some Motrin and a small glass of alcohol since there wasn't any water in the room. "Just take it easy for now," he said. He kissed my forehead causing me to blush. I grimaced as I choked down the Motrin with the alcohol. My eyelids started to feel heavy so I made myself as comfortable as possible and closed my eyes.

I woke up a few hours late to Jackie's voice. "All right, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do."

"If we could ferment the port, we could make acetic acid," Harriet suggested. I rubbed my eyes and sat up with a wince. I felt something slide off me and I glanced down. The Doctor's leather jacket was pooled in my lap. I rubbed the fabric in between my thumb and index finger. The Doctor must have put in on me when I was asleep.

"Mickey, any luck?" Rose inquired.

" **There's loads of emergency numbers. They're all on voicemail,** " Mickey informed us.

"Voicemail dooms us all," Harriet commented.

"If we could just get out of here," Rose said, looking around the room, hoping to spot an exit she might have might.

"There's a way out," Doctor replied from his spot next to me. He stood with his arms crossed and head bowed.

"What?" Rose asked, surprised at this new information.

"There's always been a way out, Rose," I said quietly. I handed the Doctor's jacket back to him. "Thanks." He nodded.

"Then why don't we use it?" Rose inquired.

"Because I can't guarantee your daughter will be safe," the Doctor said, talking to Jackie.

" **Don't you dare. Whatever it is, don't you dare** ," Jackie warned.

"That's the thing. If I don't dare, everyone dies," the Doctor said.

"Do it," Rose said. The Doctor and I stared at her, me with a small smile.

"You don't even know what it is. You'd just let me?" The Doctor asked her, confused.

"Yeah," Rose replied simply.

" **Please Doctor. Please. She's my daughter. She's just a kid** ," Jackie begged.

"Do you think I don't know that?" The Doctor snapped. "Because this is my life, Jackie. It's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will."

"Then what're you waiting for?" Rose asked.

"I could save the world but lose you. Both of you," he added looking down at me.

"Except it's not your decision, Doctor. It's mine," Harriet butted in.

" **And who the heck are you?** " Jackie asked angrily.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people for the people. And on behalf of the people, I command you. Do it."

The Doctor turned to me. "Do you trust me?" He asked.

I smiled softly at him and nodded. "Always." He paused for a moment, then he grinned.

"How do we get out?" Rose inquired, glancing around the room.

"We don't. We stay here," the Doctor informed. The Doctor grabbed the Emergency Protocols from the briefcase. "Use the buffalo password. It overrides everything," he instructed Mickey.

" **What're you doing?** " Jackie asked.

" **Hacking into the Royal Navy. We're in. Here it is. HMS Taurean, Trafalgar Class submarine, ten miles off the coast of Plymouth** ," Mickey said.

"Right, we need to select a missile."

" **We can't go nuclear. We don't have the defense codes,** " Mickey said.

"We don't need it. All we need's an ordinary missile. What's the first category?" The Doctor asked.

" **Sub Harpoon, UGM-A4A**."

"That's the one. Select."

" **I could stop you,** " Jackie threatened.

" **Do it, then** ," Mickey challenged.

"You ready for this?" The Doctor asked.

" **Yeah.** "

"Mickey the idiot, the world is in your hands."

"No pressure," I muttered sarcastically.

"Fire."

" **Oh, my gosh** ," Jackie cried.

"How solid are these?" Harriet asked, banging on the metal shutters.

"Not solid enough. Built for short range attack, nothing this big," the Doctor said solemnly.

"Yes, but I do believe there is a cupboard over there that is solid enough to withstand the blast," I said, pointing to the cupboard that the Doctor had dragged the Prime Minister's body into earlier.

"Well, I don't know about you lot, but I'm not dying here," Rose said firmly, walking over to the cupboard. "We're going to ride this one out. Come and help me. Come on." Harriet got up and helped her remove stuff from the closet.

" **Counter defense five five six,** " Mickey said.

"Stop them intercepting it," Doctor told him.

" **I'm doing it now.** "

"Good boy," the Doctor complimented.

" **Five five six neutralized,** " Mickey informed us. The Doctor unplugged the phone from the speaker and helped me up. He helped me limp into the closet. We sat down, Rose on one side of the Doctor and I sat on his other side with Harriet on my other side. We all grabbed hands.

"Here we go. Nice knowing you three. Hannibal!" Harriet yelled.

 **KaBOOM!**

The closet shook violently then rolled about. All four of us yelled as we were tossed about. Finally we stopped moving. Rose lay on her stomach and Harriet was flat on her back. I was lying on my back, nearly on my neck as my legs thrown over my head, which was resting on the Doctor's stomach. I groaned in pain as I rolled to the side and laid there for a bit. My side throbbed painfully and my head was spinning.

"You all right?" The Doctor asked, concerned.

"Yeah, fine, but if you could stop the room from spinning that would be great," I replied. He chuckled lightly seeing that I was okay despite my previous injuries.

"Rose, Harriet, you guys all right?" He asked.

"Yeah," Rose replied.

"Never better," Harriet said.

The Doctor stood up and helped me up as well. He pushed the door opened and clambered out.

"Made in Britain," Harriet commented, patting the closet proudly. A man came running over, trending carefully over the rubble of Number 10.

"Oh, my gosh. Are you all right?" He asked, concerned.

"Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North," Harriet said, flashing her ID. "I want you to contact UN immediately. Tell the ambassadors the crisis is over. They can step down. Go on, tell the news."

"Yes, ma'am." The man hurried off.

Harriet surveyed the carnage. "Someone's got a heck of a job sorting this lot out. Oh, goodness. We haven't even got a Prime Minister," Harriet gasped.

"Maybe you should have a go," the Doctor suggested.

"Me? Huh. I'm only a back-bencher," Harriet dismissed.

"I'd vote for you," Rose said.

"So would I if I were a British citizen," I told her.

"Now, don't be silly. Look, I'd better go and see if I can help. Hang on!" Harriet picked her way through the rubble. "We're safe! The Earth is safe!" She called to the large group of people gathered. We watched Harriet as she talked with the the reporters and soldiers.

"I thought I knew the name," the Doctor commented finally remembering where he heard the name. "Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms. The architect of Britain's Golden Age."

Rose went back to her flat while the Doctor and I returned to the TARDIS. As soon as we were inside the Doctor scooped me up, eliciting a small squeak of surprise from me, and carried me bridle style in the direction of the med bay. He gently placed me on one of the beds and and gathered the equipment he would need to patch me up. He set the equipment down on the bed beside me. He lifted my shirt up and removed the blood soaked bandages, tossing them a bin marked 'contaminated materials'. I gritted my in pain as he cleaned my wound again. He muttered a quiet 'sorry'. He applied a healing salve and finished bandaging me up. I jumped down from the bed, wincing slightly when I landed. I went to leave the med bay to take a shower when the Doctor stopped me.

"Next time, please let me know when your hurt, okay? I can't help you if you don't tell me when you're injured," he said softly, walking over to me.

I nodded. "I'll do my best." I headed to my room which, thankfully, the TARDIS had moved for me. She had an outfit already laid out for me on the bed. I smiled. "Thanks, sexy."

' _My pleasure_ ,' she hummed. I climbed into the shower. Thankfully, the Doctor had used special water proof bandages. I got out, dried myself off, and put on the outfit the TARDIS had picked for me, which consisted of sweatpants, a t-shirt with a horse on it, and a grey hoodie. I walked into the console room and heard the Doctor talking to Rose on the phone.

"Good. Put her on a slow heat and let her simmer," the Doctor said. I sniggered, remembering that Rose had said her mother was cooking.

" **She's cooking tea. For us** ," Rose corrected.

"I don't do that," the Doctor said.

' _Not yet you don't,_ ' I thought with a small smile. ' _Wait until you get to your eleventh regeneration._ '

" **She wants to get to know you.** "

"Tough. I've got better things to do."

" **It's just tea.** "

"Not to me it isn't," the Doctor retorted.

" **She's my mother** ," Rose protested.

"Well, she's not mine." I rolled my eyes and shook my head with a soft smile on my face at their bantering.

" **That's not fair** ," Rose said indigently.

"Well, you can stay there if you want, but right now there's this plasma storm brewing in the Horsehead Nebula. Fires are burning ten million miles wide," the Doctor baited. "I could fly the Tardis right into the heart of it then ride the shock wave all the way out. Hurtle right across the sky and end up anywhere. Your choice." The Doctor hung up the phone. He looked up at me. "What?"

I merely smiled at him. "Nothing," I replied. "So, now what?"

"Now," the Doctor tapped a few buttons on the monitor, "I need to find the kid who graffitied the TARDIS."

I stood next to Mickey as he sat on a garbage bin reading the newspaper. A young boy was washing the 'Bad Wolf' he had spray painted on the TARDIS. The Doctor poked his head out.

"Good lad," he said to the boy. "Graffiti that again and I'll have you. Now, beat it." The kid grabbed his brush and bucket and took off.

"I just went down the shop, and I was thinking, you know, like the whole world's changed. Aliens and spaceships all in public. And here it is," Mickey held up the newspaper he and I had been reading. The headline read 'Alien Hoax'. "How could they do that? They saw it," Mickey said incredulously.

"They're just not ready," the Doctor replied with a shrug. "You're happy to believe in something that's invisible, but if it's staring you in the face, nope, can't see it. There's a scientific explanation for that. You're thick."

"We're just idiots," Mickey grumbled.

"Well, not all of you," the Doctor said.

"Yeah?" Mickey asked with a grin.

"Present for you, Mickey." The Doctor handed him a CD. "That's a virus. Put it online. It'll destroy every mention of me. I'll cease to exist."

"What do you want to do that for?" Mickey questioned curiously.

"Because you're right, I am dangerous. I don't want anybody following me." Rose and Jackie came out of the flat.

"How can you say that and then take her with you?" Mickey asked, nodding towards Rose.

"You could look after her. Come with us." The Doctor suggested.

Mickey shook his head. "I can't. This life of yours, it's just too much. I couldn't do it," he glanced at Rose, "Don't tell her I said that."

"I'll get a proper job. I'll work weekends. I'll pass my test, and if Jim comes round again, I'll say no. I really will," Jackie pleaded.

"I'm not leaving because of you. I'm traveling, that's all, and then I'll come back," Rose told her.

"But it's not safe," Jackie replied worriedly.

"Mum, if you saw it out there you'd never stay home."

"Got enough stuff?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at the bag she carried. "The TARDIS does have a wardrobe, you know."

"Last time I stepped in there, it was spur of the moment. Now I'm signing up." She shoved the backpack into the Doctor's arms. "You're stuck with me," she said gleefully. "Come with us. There's plenty of room," she told Mickey. Mickey didn't say anything, but gestured towards the Doctor.

"No chance. He's a liability, I'm not having him on board," the Doctor said.

"We'd be dead without him," Rose pointed out.

"My decision is final," the Doctor stated firmly.

"Sorry," she apologized. She kissed Mickey goodbye.

"Good luck, yeah," Mickey said.

"You still can't promise me. What if she gets lost? What if something happens to you, Doctor, and she's left all alone standing on some moon a million light years away. How long do I wait then?" Jackie asked.

"As I told you earlier, Jackie, no one can promise Rose's safety. But. You have my word that I will make sure Rose always comes back to you," I promised. Jackie stared at me for a moment, then nodded.

"Mum, you're forgetting. It's a time machine. I could go traveling around suns and planets and all the way out to the edge of the universe, and by the time I get back, yeah, ten seconds would have passed. Just ten seconds," Rose assured her mother. "So stop worrying. See you in ten seconds' time, yeah?" Rose hugged her mother then followed the Doctor and I into the TARDIS.

* * *

 **Please review and let me know what you think.**


	7. Dalek

**Hey readers! Here is the next chapter! I want let you guys know that I don't know how often I will be able to update over the next couple of weeks. I will do my best to update over Christmas break. With that said, enjoy the next chapter.**

* * *

I woke the next morning and sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I threw back my comforter and got out of bed. I rooted through my closet for an outfit. I pulled out my Camp Half Blood t-shirt, a dark pair of jeans, and my usual leather jacket and combat boots. When I took off my pajama shirt, I gently shifted the bandages and examined the skin. The gash had faded to pale pink scar which the Doctor said would eventually face completely. Whatever ointment he put on my wounds really worked. I put my hair in a pony tail and made my way to the console room after grabbing breakfast in the kitchen. I smiled at the Doctor as I entered.

"How's it going?" I asked him.

"The TARDIS picked up a signal. I'm trying to track it now," he replied, flipping a few switches. Rose entered the console room.

"Morning," I told her brightly.

"Morning," she answered, smiling back at me. We landed and exited. We had landed in a dimly light room filled with display cases.

"So what is it? What's wrong?" Rose asked, glancing around.

"Don't know. Some kind of signal drawing the Tardis off course," the Doctor answered, glancing around as well.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Earth. Utah, North America. About half a mile underground."

My heart sank. 'Please not this episode,' I pleaded silently.

"And when are we?" Rose asked.

"Two thousand and twelve." The Doctor examine one of the display cases.

'Crap,' I thought. I didn't like this episode. It brought back painful memories for the Doctor. I didn't want him to have to go through the pain of seeing the enemy that had forced him to destroy his home planet.

"Gosh, that's so close. So I should be twenty six," Rose mused.

"I'd be your age, Rose," I said, turning to her, "I'd be 19."

"Really? What year were you from?"

"2015." Suddenly, the lights came on as the Doctor located the switch. The room we were in was huge. Display cases filled with different alien artifacts lined each of the walls.

"Blimey. It's a great big museum," Rose commented. I wandered over to one of the cases and examined its content.

"An alien museum," the Doctor noticed. "Someone's got a hobby. They must have spent a fortune on this." He glanced around. "Chunks of meteorite, moon dust. That's the kilometer from the Roswell spaceship," he pointed to a round object. Rose then noticed a very familiar item.

"That's a bit of Slitheen! That's a Slitheen's arm. It's been stuffed," she said examining it.

"Oh, look at you." The Doctor walked over to the object that I had been looking at.

"What is it?" Rose asked.

"An old friend of mine. Well, enemy," the Doctor corrected himself, starring at the old Cybermen head.

"The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. You're getting old," I teased, nudging him. Then I turned serious. "Doctor, I don't think we should be here," I told him quietly. He glanced at me. "There's nothing-"

"Is that where the signal's coming from?" Rose questioned, unknowingly cutting me off.

The Doctor shook his head, turning his attention to her. "No, it's stone dead. The signal's

alive. Something's reaching out, calling for help." He walked forward.

"Doctor, I don't think you should..." I started, but it was too late. The Doctor barely touched the case and alarms sounded throughout the building. Armed guards came rushing in and surrounded us, pointing their guns at us. We slowly raised our hands in surrender.

"If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A," she told the Doctor jokingly.

"Since we're in a museum that collects aliens, it's probably best not to mention the fact that we travel with one," I whispered to her, eyeing the guns pointed at us.

The guards led us down a hallway and into a room. We were joined part way by an official looking woman in a business suit and high heels.

"What does it do? " a man, who I recognized to be Henry Van Statten, said as we entered the room. He was reclining in a chair behind his desk while a young guy with short brown hair showed him some alien object.

"Well, you see the tubes on the side?" The young British guy, Adam I believe his name was, asked Statten, pointing to the area he was referring to. "It must be to channel something. I think maybe fuel."

"I really wouldn't hold it like that," the Doctor commented, smirking.

"Shut it," the woman commanded.

"Really, though, that's wrong," the Doctor insisted.

"Is it dangerous?" Adam asked.

"No, it just looks silly," the Doctor said. He reached forward to grab the object from Van Statten. The guards quickly aimed their guns at the Doctor in case he decided to do anything. The Doctor paused. Van Statten held up his hand, signaling the guards to stand down and handed the object to the Doctor. "You just need to be..." the Doctor paused mid sentence as he gently stroked the object in his hands. A musical note rang out. "Delicate." The Doctor stroked the object a few more times, playing different notes each time. I smiled as he stroked the instrument, listening to the notes.

"It's a musical instrument," Van Statten realized with a grin.

"And it's a long way from home," the Doctor said, looking down at the musical instrument sadly.

"Here, let me." Van Statten reached over his desk and roughly grabbed the instrument from the Doctor's hands. He stroked the instrument, but his touch wasn't as gentle and it made screeching noises instead of the beautiful notes it had produced for the Doctor.

"I did say delicate," the Doctor reminded him. "It reacts to the smallest fingerprint. It needs precision." Finally, Van Statten got the hang of it and the instrument produced the same sounds it had for the Doctor. "Very good. Quite the expert," the Doctor complimented.

"As are you," Van Statten said, starring at the Doctor as he carelessly tossed the alien musical instrument aside. I cringed slightly as I heard it hit the floor. For someone who has such a large collection of alien objects, Van Statten doesn't take care of them very well. "Who exactly are you?" Van Statten asked, eyeing the Doctor curiously.

"I'm the Doctor. And who are you?"

"Like you don't know," Van Statten scoffed. "We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artifacts in the world, and you just stumbled in by mistake."

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah," the Doctor replied with a grin, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet.

"The question is, how did you get in?" Van Statten mused. "Fifty three floors down, with your little cat burglar accomplices. You're quite a collector yourself, they're rather pretty." He gestured to Rose and I. I glared at him. I hated the guy. He was nothing but a selfish jerk, and that was putting it mildly.

"They're going to smack you if you keep calling them they," Rose threatened.

"She's English too! Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy," Van Statten called to Adam, who didn't look too pleased with the nickname. "Got you a girlfriend."

"This is Mister Henry Van Statten," Adam introduced.

"And who's he when he's at home?" Rose inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Mister Van Statten owns the internet," Adam supplied.

"Don't be stupid," Rose scoffed. "No one owns the internet."

"And let's just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?" Van Statten replied with a sly grin.

"So you're just about an expert in everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up," the Doctor accused.

"And you claim greater knowledge?" Van Statten inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am," the Doctor replied. I rolled my eyes.

"And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?" Van Statten asked.

"You tell me," the Doctor said.

"The cage contains my one living specimen," Van Statten announced proudly.

"And what's that?" The Doctor inquired.

"Like you don't know," Van Statten replied, still smirking. I gulped.

'I do. It shouldn't even be here,' I thought nervously.

"Show me," the Doctor demanded.

"You want to see it?" Van Statten asked.

'No, I'm pretty sure you don't, Doctor,' I thought.

"Blimey, you can smell the testosterone," Rose commented. I nodded in agreement.

"Goddard, inform the Cage we're heading down,"Van Statten told the woman. So that was her name. "You, English," he gestured to Adam. "Look after the girls. Go and canoodle or spoon or whatever it is you British do." I grimaced. I'm not sure I want to know what that means. "And you, Doctor with no name, come and see my pet." Van Statten left with the Doctor. I watched them go nervously. I knew the Doctor wouldn't like what he found in the cage. Unfortunately, he learns a valuable lesson on this adventure. I would have to try and keep Rose from touching the Dalek, though, and give Van Statten a good punching later for what he was going to put the Doctor through.

Rose and I followed Adam out of Van Statten's office, but not before I managed to grab the musical instrument Van Satten has tossed aside. I tucked it away safely in my jacket pocket.

We followed Adam down to his area. His work area was cluttered with different objects. He had shelves stacked with bins full of different artifacts he had no doubt picked up at auctions.

"Sorry about the mess," Adam said, attempting to tidy up his space a bit. "Mister Van Statten sort of lets me do my own thing, so long as I deliver the goods. What do you think that is?" He held up a piece of metal. Rose took it and examined it. I started looking around at all the nit-noids Adam had scattered around.

"Er, a lump of metal?" She guessed, handing back the metal piece.

"Yeah. Yeah, but I think, well, I'm almost certain, it's from the hull of a spacecraft. The thing is, it's all true. Everything the United Nations tries to keep quiet, spacecraft, aliens, visitors to Earth. They really exist," he told Rose excitedly, seeming to forget I was in the room, which didn't bother me one bit.

"That's amazing," Rose said, a slight hint of sarcasm in her voice. I suppressed a snort and continued to examine the different objects Adam had lying around.

"I know it sounds incredible, but I honestly believe the whole universe is just teeming with life," Adam said excitedly, not picking up on Rose's sarcasm.

"I'm gobsmacked, yeah." Again more sarcasm. "And you do what, sit here and catalogue it?" Rose asked him.

"Best job in the world," Adam replied happily.

"Imagine if you could get out there. Travel amongst the stars and see it for real," Rose said wistfully.

' _Oh no. We are not taking him with us,_ ' I thought.

"Yeah, I'd give anything. I don't think it's ever going to happen. Not in our lifetimes," Adam dismissed.

"Oh, you never know," Rose shrugged. "What about all those people who say they've been inside of spaceships and things and talked to aliens?"

"I think they're nutters," Adam replied.

"Yeah, me too," Rose agreed with a nervous laugh. "So, how'd you end up here?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Van Statten has agents all over the world looking for geniuses to recruit," Adam said, puffing out his chest a bit.

"Oh, right. You're a genius," Rose said with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry, but yeah. I can't help it. I was born clever," Adam shrugged, not looking very sorry at all.

' _And humble too_ ,' I thought sarcastically.

"When I was eight, I logged onto the US Defence System. Nearly caused World War Three," Adam continued.

"And you think that's funny?" I asked him, setting down one of the objects I had been holding and crossing my arms. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, you should've been there just to see them running about. Fantastic!" Adam laughed.

I rolled my eyes and went back to examining the different objects.

"You sound like the Doctor," Rose commented.

"Are you and him?" Adam asked hesitantly.

"No, we're just friends," Rose dismissed quickly.

"Good," Adam said, seeming relieved.

"Why is it good?" Rose questioned.

"It just is."

I rolled my eyes again. ' _She is way out of your league, mr genius._ '

"So, wouldn't you rather be downstairs?" Rose inquired. "I mean, you've got these bits of metal and stuff, but Mister Van Statten's got a living creature down there."

"Yeah. Yeah, well, I did ask, but he keeps it to himself," Adam shrugged. "Although, if you're a genius, it doesn't take long to patch through on the comm. system." I rolled my eyes once again.

"Let's have a look, then," Rose encouraged. Adam pulled out a computer and began typing.

"It doesn't do much, the alien. It's weird. It's kind of useless. It's just like this great big pepper pot." I held back a snort. I didn't like Adam and I didn't want to give him the satisfaction that he had made me laugh. I looked at the screen as Adam managed to hack into the security system. The Dalek was sitting in its cage screaming as a scientist attempted to drill through its casing.

"It's being tortured!" Rose exclaimed, horrified. "Where's the Doctor?"

"I don't know," Adam replied with a shrug.

"Take us down there now," Rose demanded. She grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the room before I could protest, Adam quickly following.

We entered the area just outside the cage.

"Hold it right there," a guard said, stopping us.

Adam flashed his badge. "Level three access. Special clearance from Mister Van Statten," he said proudly. A guard opened the cage door for us. "Don't get too close."

"Hello. Are you in pain?" Rose asked the Dalek. I stood near the door, nervously twiddling my thumbs. "My name's Rose Tyler and this is Elena. We've got a friend, he can help. He's called the Doctor. What's your name?"

" **Yes** ," the Dalek replied, the little bulbs on top of its head lighting up as it spoke.

"What?" Rose questioned, confused.

" **I am in pain. They torture me, but still they fear me. Do you fear me?** " The Dalek asked Rose.

"No," she replied, shaking head.

" **I am dying.** " I couldn't help but feel sorry for the Dalek. No matter what it had done, I didn't believe it deserved to be tortured for simple pleasure. The Dalek only did what it was born to do, not that it was an excuse for all the people it had killed. Van Statten only tortured to get it to talk.

"No, we can help," Rose insisted.

" **I welcome death. But I am glad that before I die I have met a human who was not** **afraid**."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Rose asked, brows furrowed in concern.

" **My race is dead, and I shall die alone.** " Slowly, Rose reached out a hand to touch the Dalek in an attempt to comfort it. I panicked. No! She couldn't touch! I rushed forward to stop her.

"Rose, no!" I yelled, yanking her hand away. Unfortunately, in my haste to stop Rose from touching the Dalek, I lost my balance and threw out a hand to steady myself. My hand landed on the Dalek. I quickly pulled my hand away, leaving a golden handprint behind, which quickly faded. The Dalek started shaking. I stared in horror at the Dalek.

" **Genetic material extrapolated. Initiate cellular reconstruction!** " The Dalek screeched. As it broke its chains, the guard from earlier ran in.

"What the heck have you done?" He yelled at us as we passed on our way out of the cage. He went over to the Dalek while we watched the video feed from the security camera and raised his gun. The Dalek raised its plunger threateningly. "What are you going to do? Sucker me to death?" He scoffed. That's exactly what the Dalek did. The Dalek placed the sucker on the man's face and created a vacuum, killing the man.

"It's killing him! Do something!" Rose demanded. I stared at the screen, my eyes wide. I had done this.

"Condition red! Condition red! I repeat, this is not a drill!" Another guard yelled into the comm. system. The Doctor appeared on another tv screen.

"You've got to keep it in that cell," the Doctor told us.

"Doctor, it's all my fault," I told him with tears in my eyes.

"I've sealed the compartment. It can't get out, that lock's got a billion combinations," the other guard assured the Doctor.

"A Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat," the Doctor countered. I glanced back at the cage door. Rose, Adam, and I moved towards the exit. We watched as the Dalek opened the door. Guards lined up at the door, guns trained on the opening cage door.

"Open fire!" A guard yelled. I flinched at the sound of the machine guns going off.

"Don't shoot it! I want it unharmed," I heard Van Statten order over the comms.

"Elena, Rose, get out of there!" The Doctor yelled, worry evident in his voice.

"De Maggio, take the civilians and get them out alive. That is your job, got that?" The head guard order a female guard. She nodded.

"You, with me," De Maggio order Adam, Rose, and I. We ran out of the door.

We ran through the corridor. We ran up to a group of guards blocking the corridor.

"Civilians! Let them through!" De Maggio yelled as we passed. I stopped just behind them.

"We can't let them stay there! They won't be able to stop the Dalek. They'll be slaughtered!" I yelled to De Maggio.

"They can buy us time. Now, come on!" she told me, running back to grab my arm and dragging me along. We ran until we came to a staircase.

"Stairs!" Rose exclaimed happily. "That's more like it. It hasn't got legs. It's stuck!"

"It's coming! Get up!" De Maggio ordered us, placing herself in front. We bolted up a flight of stairs and stopped, looking back as the Dalek came in.

"Great big alien death machine defeated by a flight of stairs," Adam mocked.

"Come on," I urged. "We can't stop." I tried tugging on Rose's arm, who was right below me, but she ignored me and continued to stare at the Dalek.

"Now listen to me," De Maggio demanded, pointing her hand gun at the Dalek. "I demand that you return to your cage. If you want to negotiate then I can guarantee that Mister Van Statten will be willing to talk. I accept that we imprisoned you and maybe that was wrong, but people have died, and that stops right now. The killing stops. Have you got that? I demand that you surrender. Is that clear?" The Dalek swung its eyestalk to look at us then back down to the stairs.

" **Elevate** ," the Dalek said. The Dalek then levitated and glided up the stairs after us.

"Oh my gosh," Rose gasped.

"What did you expect?" I inquired irritably. "That thing is one of the most intelligent creatures in the universe, did you really expect a few flights of stairs to stop it?" I was ignored.

"Adam, get them out of here," De Maggio ordered

"Come with us. You can't stop it," Rose protested.

"Someone's got to try," De Maggio insisted. "Now get out! Don't look back. Just run." I ran back down the steps.

"Oh no you don't," I said grabbing hold of her arm. "Enough people have died already. I'm not going to let someone else die if I can help it." I yanked on her arm despite her protests. I got behind her and started shoving her up the stairs. Finally, she gave in and ran up after Rose and Adam.

We ran into a large room with different levels. There were soldiers on every level, guns trained on the entrance.

"Hold your fire! You four, get the heck out of there!" The commander yelled at us. We ran through and stopped at the door on the other side of the room. I looked back and saw the Dalek enter the room. It swiveled its eyestalk to look in our direction. I stared at it my, eyes wide. I had the felling that it was staring directly at me. Rose tugged my arm and pulled me along.

"It was looking at you," Rose told me.

"Yeah, it wants to slaughter us," Adam replied bitterly.

"I know, but it was looking right at her," Rose insisted, looking at me.

"So? It's just a sort of metal eye thing. It's looking all around," Adam shrugged.

"I don't know. It's like there's something inside, looking at her, like, like it knows her."

"Look, it's not important, we need to keep moving," I said, moving ahead. The other three followed behind.

We entered another stairwell and began the long climb. Suddenly, the Doctor Who theme song started blasting from the phone in my pocket. Yes, I have a phone, I just hadn't had much use for it since coming to this universe. The Doctor had upgraded it the second day with him, but I had no one to call in this universe. I could still play games and serf the internet on it though. I pulled my iPhone 5s out of my pocket and answered it.

"This isn't the best time," I huffed, somewhat out of breath from all the stairs.

" **Where are you?** " The Doctor asked hurriedly.

I glanced at the number on the wall. "Level forty nine."

" **You've got to keep moving. The vault's being sealed off up at level forty six.** "

"Can't you stop them closing?" I asked, stretching my short legs to take the steps two at a time.

" **I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait and I can't help you. Now for heaven's sake, run!** " He told me urgently.

"We're nearly there. Give us two seconds," I said, Rose, Adam, De Maggio, and I running flat out down the corridor, having reached level 46.

" **I'm sorry,** " I heard the Doctor say and I knew he had started closing the bulkhead.

"Come on!" Adam yelled. We bolted towards the closing bulkhead. Adam rolled under first, followed by Rose. De Maggio slowed down a bit so I could catch up. Curse my short legs. I wasn't going to let De Maggio sacrifice herself, so I gave her a hard shove which sent her rolling under the bulkhead just before it closed. I skidded to a halt, smacking into the now closed bulkhead. I breathed heavily, laying my head against the sealed door.

" **Elena, where are you? Elena, did you and Rose make it?** " The Doctor asked worriedly. I slowly brought the phone up the my ear.

"Rose made it, but I was a bit slow," I said, still out of breath. I looked around and saw the Dalek coming around the corner. "See you, then, Doctor. And don't you dare blame yourself," I said sternly. "It wasn't your fault. Remember that, okay? It wasn't your fault. And do you know what? I wouldn't have missed it for the world." Tears welled up in my eyes. "Keep an eye on Rose for me. Goodbye, Doctor." I hung up and faced the Dalek. I closed my eyes and thought about all the adventures I had gone on with the Doctor. I thought about how he made me smile whenever he started rambling while explaining something. I may not have understood what he was saying, but I loved watching him get excited over something.

" **Exterminate!** " The Dalek screeched. I waited for death to come, but it never did. I peeked an eye open.

"Go on then, kill me," I demanded. The Dalek, however, did nothing. "Why're you doing this?" I asked angrily, glaring at the pepper pot.

" **I am armed. I will kill. It is my purpose.** " The Dalek declared.

"They're all dead because of you!" I yelled at it. My hands clenched a my sides.

" **They are dead because of us.** " My heart dropped into my stomach. I starred at the Dalek. It was right. It was my fault all those people were dead. I may have saved De Maggio, but if I hadn't touched the Dalek in the first place all those guards would still be alive. I should have tried harder to get the Doctor to leave.

"And now what? What're you waiting for?" I asked bitterly, tears welling in my eyes.

" **I feel your fear,** " the Dalek stated

"What did you expect? I'm human, not a Cyberman."

" **Daleks do not fear. Must not fear,** " the Dalek protested, shooting the wall on either side of me. I flinched. " **You gave me life. What else have you given me? I am** **contaminated**." The Dalek rolled over to a panel and activated a screen. " **Move**." It ordered me. It herded me so we were standing in the line of the camera and the wall. " **Open the bulkhead or Elena dies.** " The Dalek demanded.

"You're alive!" The Doctor gasped in relief.

"Can't get rid of me," I joked lightly.

"I thought you were dead," the Doctor told me. It was hard to tell, but the Doctor almost looked like he had tears in his eyes.

" **Open the bulkhead!** " The Dalek demanded again.

"Don't you dare!" I told the Doctor.

" **What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you love?** " The Dalek cut the feed. I blinked confusedly. Where had it gotten that idea? The Doctor didn't love me. We were just friends. My breath caught in my throat. It must have picked up on my feelings. I've had a crush on the Doctor for a while now. The Dalek must have mistaken a silly schoolgirl crush with love. Yeah, that's it. It was a Dalek. All it knew was hate and anger, it knew nothing of love. I heard the bulkhead opening and the Dalek nudged in the back, urging me forward. We entered the elevator.

"I'm begging you, don't kill them. You didn't kill me," I begged the Dalek. In the show, Rose managed to keep it from killing anyone, so I had to try.

" **But why not? Why are you alive? My function is to kill. What am I? What am I?** " The Dalek demanded.

We exited the elevator and entered Van Statten's office.

"Don't move. Don't do anything. It's beginning to question itself," I ordered the people in the room. I glanced around quickly. There was no sign of the Doctor, Rose, or Adam.

" **Van Statten. You tortured me. Why?** " The Dalek demanded, approaching Van Statten.

"I wanted to help you. I just, I don't know. I was trying to help," Van Statten stuttered, backing up against the wall as the Dalek approached. "I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you. I wanted you better. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I swear, I just wanted you to talk!" Va Statten yelled desperately.

" **Then hear me talk now. Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!** " The Dalek aimed it's weapon at Van Statten. I didn't like Van Statten one bit, but he didn't deserve to be killed by a Dalek. I rushed up to the Dalek.

"Don't do it! Don't kill him!" The Dalek swivels its eyestalk to face me. "You don't have to do this anymore. There must be something else, not just killing. What else is there? What do you want?" I asked it. The Dalek swiveled its eyestalk back to Van Statten then back to me.

" **I want freedom,** " it declared. I nodded and it rolled away from Van Statten and out the door. I turned to Van Statten and punched him. He stumbled back against the wall, holding his jaw. I glared at him.

"That was for hurting the Doctor and all the people you killed," I growled before following the Dalek.

We made it to level 1. The Dalek blasted a hole in the ceiling. Sunlight streamed through the hole directly, directly onto the Dalek's eyestalk.

"You're out. You made it. I never thought I'd feel the sunlight again," I said softly, staring at the sky through the hole.

" **How does it feel?** " The Dalek asked. It opened its casing revealing the creature inside. It held out a tendril to the sunlight. I watched it sadly. I heard running footsteps.

"Get out of the way. Elena, get out of the way now!" I turned my head to look at the Doctor, who had a giant alien gun points at me, and shook my head.

"No. I won't let you do this," I told him, standing my ground.

"That thing killed hundreds of people," the Doctor protested.

"I know, but it's not the one pointing the gun at me."

"I've got to do this. I've got to end it," the Doctor insisted. "The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left." I looked at him sadly.

"I know, but look at it." I stepped aside, revealing the Dalek. It was still reaching its tentacles towards the sunlight.

"What's it doing?" The Doctor asked, lowering his gun slightly in confusion.

"It's the sunlight, that's all it wants," I told him.

"But it can't," the Doctor protested.

"It couldn't kill Van Statten, it couldn't kill me. It's changing," I informed him. "What about you, Doctor? What the heck are you changing into?" I questioned quietly.

"I couldn't. I wasn't..." the Doctor stammered. He looked at me desperately. "Oh, Elena." His voiced cracked. "They're all dead." He said sadly.

" **Why do we survive?** " The Dalek inquired, seeming to struggle to speak.

"I don't know," the Doctor answered quietly.

" **I am the last of the Daleks.** "

"You're not even that. Elena did more than regenerate you. You've absorbed her DNA.

You're mutating," the Doctor explained.

" **Into what?** "

"Something new. I'm sorry," the Doctor apologized. I stared at the Dalek sadly.

" **I can feel so many ideas. So much darkness. Elena, give me orders. Order me to** **die,** " the Dalek demanded.

I shook my head. "I can't do that," I replied.

" **This is not life. This is sickness. I shall not be like you,** " the Dalek declared. " **Order my destruction! Obey! Obey! Obey!** " I sighed, tears filling my eyes. I didn't want to order another living thing to kill itself, no matter how bad the creature might be.

"Do it," I ordered reluctantly.

" **Are you frightened, Elena?** "

"Yeah."

" **So am I. Exterminate.** " The Dalek closed its casing and floated off the ground. The balls covering its casing came off and surrounded the Dalek, creating a force field. The Dalek exploded, the force field safely containing the blast. Tears welled in my eyes again as I turned towards the Doctor. We stared at each other for a moment before running at each other, the Doctor dropping his gun. He enveloped me in his arms and I cried into his chest. He rubbed my back soothingly and let me cry. After a moment, I sniffed and attempted to gather myself together. I looked up at the Doctor.

"Sorry about that," I apologized, wiping my eyes.

"It's all right," he assured me, kissing the top of my head, causing me to blush. "I thought I had lost you," he said quietly.

"Sorry," I apologized again. "But don't worry," I said smiling softly, "I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon."

"I always worry about you," he informed me, kissing me in the top of my head again. "Come on. We better go get Rose. She was worried sick about you."

"What about De Maggio?" I inquired, crossing my fingers that I had managed to save her.

The Doctor grabbed my hand as we walked off to get Rose. "She was rather angry with herself that she had let you push her under the bulkhead." He glanced down at me. "She was supposed to die, wasn't she?"

"Originally, yes," I replied simply. He squeezed to hand.

"Those deaths were not your fault."

"Yes, they were. I could have done something to save them. I should have tried harder to get you to leave or gone with you and Van Statten and tried to stop it somehow." The Doctor stopped walking and turned me to face him.

"You did what you could to help," he said, staring at me intently, hands on my shoulders.

"But," I started, but he interrupted me.

"No, buts. They were not your fault," he stated firmly. "You can't expect to save everyone. Okay?" I nodded.

When we collected Rose, she tackled me with a hug then smacked my arm and gave me a stern talking to. The Doctor didn't help much. He just stood off to the side and chuckled as Rose told me off for scaring her. We walked back to the TARDIS. I grinned at the sight of the familiar blue box.

"A little piece of home," the Doctor said, patting the TARDIS affectionately. "Better than nothing."

"Is that the end of it, the Time War?" Rose asked.

"I'm the only one left. I win. How about that?" The Doctor said dejectedly. I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"The Dalek survived. Maybe some of your people did too," Rose suggested.

"I'd know. In here," he gestured to his head. "Feels like there's no one."

"Well then, good thing we're not going anywhere," Rose said, throwing an arm around my shoulders. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," the Doctor said, looking at both of us. I could have sworn he was looking mainly at me, but before I could decided, Adam ran up, causing the Doctor to look away.

"We'd better get out. Van Statten's disappeared," Adam said. I smiled to myself remembering the Van Statten was currently having his memory wiped and being dumbed in some city beginning with 's'. "They're closing down the base. Goddard says they're going to fill it full of cement, like it never existed."

"About time," I muttered.

"I'll have to go back home," Adam said sadly.

"Better hurry up then. Next flight to Heathrow leaves at fifteen hundred hours," the Doctor said, unlocking the TARDIS door.

"Adam was saying that all his life he wanted to see the stars," Rose hinted.

"Tell him to go and stand outside, then," I retorted. The Doctor chuckled.

"He's all on his own, Doctor, and he did help," she prodded.

"He left Elena down there," the Doctor pointed out.

"So did you," Rose retorted.

"Rose," I scolded.

"What're you talking about? We've got to leave," Adam insisted.

"Plus, he's a bit pretty," the Doctor noted.

"I hadn't noticed," Rose replied with a shrug.

"Mmm hmm," I mumbled sarcastically, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes at me.

"On your own head," the Doctor conceded opening the TARDIS door and walking in, me following close behind. Rose grinned and followed.

"What're you doing? She said cement. She wasn't joking. We're going to get sealed in," Adam insisted. "Doctor? Elena? What're you doing standing inside a box? Rose?" He slowly followed us in. The Doctor put us in flight and the TARDIS dematerialized.

* * *

 **Please review and let me know what you guys think. Merry Christmas!**


	8. The Long Game

**Hello readers! Here is the next chapter! I have finished season 1 and am working on The Christmas Invasion. Enjoy!**

* * *

The TARDIS materialized and the Doctor, Rose, and I stepped out. Rose wanted to impress Adam.

"So, it's two hundred thousand, and it's a spaceship," the Doctor explained looking around. "No, wait a minute," he paused, "space station, and er, go and try that gate over there." He pointed to said gate. "Off you go."

"Two hundred thousand?" Rose asked, making sure.

"Two hundred thousand," the Doctor confirmed.

Rose nodded. "Right." She reached back and opened the TARDIS door. "Adam? Out you come," she called. Adam came out of the TARDIS and his jawed dropped. I giggled at the expression on his face. He looked around the large room, eyes wide.

"Oh, my gosh," he gasped.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Rose said nonchalantly.

"Where are we?" Adam asked, still gazing around. The Doctor and I stood off to the side smirking.

"Good question. Let's see. So, er, judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year two hundred thousand. If you listen," Rose paused, putting a hand to her ear as if listening to something.

"Yeah," Adam encouraged.

"Engines. We're on some sort of space station." Rose nodded as if confirming her suspicions. "Yeah, definitely a space station. It's a bit warm in here," she noted. "They could turn the heating down. Tell you what - let's try that gate. Come on!" She hauled Adam with her, the Doctor and I following, shaking our heads.

We walked through a metal gate and walked over to a massive viewing window.

"Here we go! And this is," she hesitated for a moment, "I'll let the Doctor describe it."

The Doctor obliged all to happily. I think he enjoys explaining things way too much. "The Fourth great and bountiful Human Empire. And there it is, planet Earth at it's height." We glanced down at the Earth below us. I smiled. It was a beautiful planet. "Covered with mega-cities, five moons, population ninety six billion. The hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets, a million species, with mankind right in the middle." We heard a thump as Adam fainted. I glanced down at him with a raised eyebrow. "He's your boyfriend." The Doctor told Rose without looking away from the view.

"Not anymore," Rose replied flatly, also not looking away from the view. I glanced between them and the serious expressions they both wore and couldn't hold it in anymore. I burst out laughing. I bent over and held my stomach as I continued to laugh. Rose and the Doctor both looked at me before joining in.

When Adam came to, we dragged him the main hub.

"Come on, Adam. Open your mind," the Doctor urged. "You're going to like this. Fantastic period of history. The human race at its most intelligent. Culture, art, politics. This era has got fine food, good manners." No sooner had he said that then a man rushed by, knocking me backwards into the Doctor's arms.

"Out of the way!" The man yelled as he passed. People were everywhere. Vendors called out their fairs and customers argued over who was next in line.

"Rude," I muttered as the Doctor set me back on my feet. "Thanks," I told him. He nodded.

"Thank you very much indeed. Somebody there? That's great. What do you want, love?" A chef called out to the customers lined up outside his cart. "All right, keep moving. I'll be with you lot in a minute. Here you are. One at a time. What now, what was it? Kronkburger with cheese, kronkburger with pajatos. Do you want a drink? Oi, you, mate. Stop pushing. Get back. I said, back."

"Fine cuisine?" Rose scoffed.

The Doctor furrowed his brow in confusion. "My watch must be wrong." He shook the watch on his wrist and put it up to his ear, checking to see if it was still working. "No, it's fine. It's weird," he commented.

"That's what comes of showing off. Your history's not as good as you thought it was," Rose teased.

"My history's perfect," the Doctor protested.

"Well, obviously not," Rose retorted.

"You're one to talk about showing off, Rose. What was the thing you said about wanting to impress mr genius?" I inquired with a smirk.

"Shut up," she said embarrassed, shoving me with her shoulder. I just grinned at her.

"They're all human," Adam noticed. "What about the millions of planets, the millions of species? Where are they?"

"Good question," the Doctor complimented. The he thought about it for a second. "Actually, that is a good question. Adam, me old mate," he said, throwing an arm around Adam's shoulders "you must be starving."

"No, I'm just a bit time sick," Adam replied.

"No, you just need a bit of grub," the Doctor insisted. He turned to the chef I heard yelling earlier. "Oi, mate - how much is a kronkburger?"

"Two credits twenty, sweetheart. Now join the queue," the chef replied, gesturing to the end of the line.

"Money. We need money," the Doctor mumbled. "Let's use a cashpoint." The Doctor went over to a cashpoint and used his sonic screwdriver. A small rectangular object came out. "There you go, pocket money," the Doctor said, handing the silver object to Adam. "Don't spend it all on sweets."

"How does it work?" Adam asked.

"Go and find out. Stop nagging me," the Doctor replied, sounding a bit annoyed. "The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guide book, you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers." I raised my eyebrows at him. "Or is that just me?"

"Pretty sure that's just you," I answered.

"Stop asking questions, go and do it. Off you go, then. Your first date," the Doctor teased. Adam wandered off.

"You're going to get a smack, you are," Rose threatened, walking off to join Adam.

"I want you two back by midnight," I called after her. "Now, shall we go find out where we are?" I asked the Doctor. He grinned and grabbed my hand, dragging me over to two smartly dressed women.

"Er, this is going to sound daft, but can you tell me where I am?" The Doctor asked.

"Floor One Three Nine. Could they write it any bigger?" The black woman, Cathica if I remembered correctly said, raising her eyebrows and pointing the floor number written on the wall.

"Floor one three nine of what?" The Doctor asked.

"Must've been a heck of a party," Cathica commented dryly.

"You're on Satellite Five," the other woman, Suki, supplied kindly.

"What's Satellite Five."

"Come on," Cathica scoffed, "how could you get on board without knowing where you are?"

"One heck of a party," I replied. "He doesn't hold his alcohol very well and insisted on asking someone." The Doctor ignored my comment.

"Look at me. I'm stupid," he said.

"Hold on, wait a minute. Are you a test?" Suki asked. "Some sort of management test kind of thing?"

"You've got us. Well done. You're too clever for us," the Doctor said with a grin, pulling out his psychic paper and showing it to Suki and Cathica. Suki sighed in relief.

"We were warned about this in basic training. All workers have to be versed in company promotion," she explained.

"Right, fire away, ask your questions. If it gets me to Floor five hundred I'll do anything," Cathica said with a smile.

"Why, what happens on Floor five hundred?" I asked, although I knew very well what happened on Floor five hundred.

"The walls are made of gold," Cathica replied like it should be obvious. "And you should know, Mister and Misses Management. So, this is what we do." She walked over to a wall monitor. "Latest news, sandstorms on the new Venus archipelago. Two hundred dead. Glasgow water riots into their third day." She switched the channel. "Space lane seventy seven closed by sunspot activity. And over on the Bad Wolf channel, the Face of Boe has just announced he's pregnant." I raised my eyebrow.

"I get it. You broadcast the news," the Doctor said.

"We are the news," Cathica corrected. "We're the journalists. We write it, package it and sell it. Six hundred channels all coming out of Satellite Five, broadcasting everywhere. Nothing happens in the whole human empire without it going though us." The Doctor and I shared a look before we walked off to go find Rose and Adam.

"Oi! Mutt and Jeff! Over here!" The Doctor called, spotting Rose and Adam in the cafeteria.

We followed Cathica into a round, white room. A chair sat in the middle with seven people sitting around it. The Doctor, Rose, Adam, and I stood off to the side, watching.

"Now, everybody behave. We have a management inspection. How do you want it, by the book?" Cathica asked us.

"Right from scratch, thanks," the Doctor replied.

Cathica nodded. "Okay. So, ladies, gentlemen, multi-sex, undecided or robot,- my name is Cathica Santini Khadeni. That's Cathica with a C, in case you want to write to Floor five hundred praising me, and please do." She smiled sweetly at the Doctor. I scowled at her. "Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and beyond bias. That's company policy."

"Actually, it's the law," Suki cut in.

"Yes, thank you, Suki," Cathica snapped. "Okay, keep it calm. Don't show off for the guests. Here we go." Cathica settled herself into the chair. "And engage safety." The seven people around the chair held their hands over the palm prints on the table in front of them. Lights come on around the room. Cathica snapped her fingers and a portal in her forehead opened. I grimaced at the sight of her brain. The seven put their hands on the palm prints. "And three, two, and spike." A beam of light sot down into Cathica's head.

"Compressed information, streaming into her. Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain is the computer," the Doctor explained, walking around to the side to get a better view.

"If it all goes through her, she must be a genius," Rose commented.

I shook my head. "No, she wouldn't remember any of it. There's too much. Her head'd blow up. The brain's the processor. As soon as it closes, she forgets," I explained.

"So, what about all these people round the edge?"

"They've all got tiny little chips in their head, connecting them to her and they transmit six hundred channels. Every single fact in the Empire beams out of this place. Now that's what I call power," the Doctor complimented.

"You all right?" Rose asked Adam, who was looking slightly pale.

"I can see her brain," he noted.

"Very good, Adam," I said sarcastically.

"Do you want to get out?" Rose asked, concerned.

Adam shook his head. "No. No, this technology, it's amazing."

"This technology's wrong," the Doctor retorted.

"Trouble?" Rose questioned.

"Oh, yeah," the Doctor replied.

"Isn't there always?" I asked rhetorically.

Suki suddenly jerked her hands away as if she had been shocked. Everyone else lifted their hands in confusion. The beam of information stopped and Carhica's head portal closed

"Come off it, Suki. I wasn't even halfway. What was that for?" Cathica asked angrily.

"Sorry. It must've been a glitch," Suki replied, rubbing her hand.

"Oh," Cathica mocked.

" **Promotion**." A computer said. The wall light up with the word 'promotion' on it.

"Come on. This is it. Come on. Oh gosh, make it me. Come on, say my name, say my name, say my name," Cathica muttered, crossing her fingers.

" **Promotion for Suki Macrae Cantrell. Please proceed to Floor five hundred.** " Suki's mouthed dropped open.

"I don't believe it. Floor five hundred," she said in disbelief. She stood up and approached the screen.

"How the heck did you manage that? I'm above you," Cathica asked angrily.

"I don't know. I just applied on the off chance and they've said yes," Suki replied excitedly.

"That's so not fair. I've been applying to Floor five hundred for three years."

"What's Floor five hundred?" Rose asked.

"The walls are made of gold," I informed her flatly.

We stood outside the elevator as Suki said her goodbyes.

"Cathica, I'm going to miss you." Suki hugged Cathica, who remained stiff. "Floor five hundred, thank you," Suki said, turning to the Doctor.

"I didn't do anything," the Doctor said.

"Well, you're my lucky charm."

"All right. I'll hug anyone," the Doctor shrugged with a grin. As he hugged Suki, I felt a jealous ping. I blinked. Why was I jealous? The Doctor and I were friends, nothing more. I eyed Rose and Adam talking a few feet away.

"Oh, my gosh, I've got to go," Suki exclaimed. She quickly grabbed her bag. "I can't keep them waiting. I'm sorry. Say goodbye to Steve for me. Bye!" The elevator door closed, sending Suki to Floor five hundred.

"Good riddance," Cathica muttered, glaring after Suki.

"You're talking like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs," the Doctor said.

"We won't. Once you go to Floor five hundred you never come back," Cathica replied. We walked back to the cafeteria.

"Have you ever been up there?" The Doctor asked.

Cathica shook her head. "I can't. You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to five hundred except for the chosen few." We made our way back to the newsroom. "Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance. Can't you give it a rest?"

"But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?" The Doctor asked incredulously. He made himself comfortable in the broadcast chair Cathica had occupied earlier.

"I went to floor sixteen when I first arrived. That's medical," Cathica explained. "That's when I got my head done, and then I came straight here. Satellite Five, you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all. You're not management, are you," she finally realized.

"Bought time you figured that out," I told her, leaning against the chair the Doctor sat in.

"Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything," Cathica insisted.

"Don't you even ask?" I asked her.

"Well, why would I?"

"You're a journalist," the Doctor pointed out. "Why's all the crew human?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Cathica asked confused.

"There's no aliens on board," the Doctor noted. "Why?"

"I don't know. No real reason. They're not banned or anything," Cathica replied with a shrug.

"Then where are they?" I asked, throwing an arm up.

"I suppose immigration's tightened up. It's had to, what with all the threats."

"What threats?" The Doctor inquired.

"I don't know all of them," Cathica replied in exasperation, getting tired of our questions. "Usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled so that kept the visitors away. Oh, and the government on Chavic Five's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see. Just lots of little reasons, that's all," Cathica said.

"Adding up to one great big fact, and you didn't even notice."

"Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it. We see everything," Cathica stated.

"Not quite," I said.

"I can see better. This society's the wrong shape, even the technology," the Doctor replied.

"It's cutting edge," Cathica protested angrily.

"It's backwards," the Doctor retorted. "There's a great big door in your head. You should've chucked this out years ago."

"So, what do you think's going on?" Rose asked, startling me. I had forgotten she was there.

"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude. It's the way people think. The great and bountiful Human Empire's stunted. Something's holding it back," the Doctor mused.

"And how would you know?" Cathica questioned suspiciously.

"Trust me, humanity's been set back about ninety years. When did Satellite Five start broadcasting?" The Doctor inquired.

"Ninety one years ago," Cathica replied slowly, eyes widening.

We went back to the main area where the Doctor used his sonic on a panel. He pulled the panel off and started poking through the wires.

"We are so going to get in trouble. You're not allowed to touch the mainframe. You're going to get told off," Cathica insisted, glancing around nervously.

"Elena, tell her to button it," the Doctor said, still rooting through the wires.

"You can't just vandalize the place. Someone's going to notice!" Cathica exclaimed. The Doctor continued to mess with the wires. He muttered a quite 'oops' when he pulled out a bunch a wires. I rolled my eyes. He was having way too much fun. "This is nothing to do with me. I'm going back to work." Cathica started to leave.

"Go on, then. See you!" I waved at her cheerfully.

"I can't just leave you, can I!" Cathica exclaimed, walking back over.

"Tell you what, if you want to be useful, get them to turn the heating down. It's boiling. Haven't you guys heard of air conditioning?" I asked.

"I don't know. We keep asking. Something to do with the turbine," Cathica replied with shrug.

"Something to do with the turbine," the Doctor mocked.

"Well, I don't know!" Cathica exclaimed.

"Exactly. I give up on you, Cathica. Now, Elena and Rose. Look at Elena and Rose. Elena and Rose are asking the right kind of question." I smiled proudly.

"Oh, thank you," Rose smirked.

"Why is it so hot?" The Doctor asked, stopping his messing with the wires and turning to Cathica.

"One minute you're worried about the Empire and the next it's the central heating!" Cathica exclaimed.

"Never underestimate plumbing," I stated.

The Doctor nodded in agreement. "Plumbing's very important." Finally, the Doctor finished what he was doing and pulled out a monitor with the plumbing schematics. "Here we go. Satellite Five, pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout."

Cathica examined the monitor. "This is ridiculous. You've got access to the computer's core. You can look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange and you're looking at pipes?" She glanced back at the Doctor confused.

"But there's something wrong," the Doctor insisted.

"I suppose," Cathica conceded.

"Why, what is it?" Rose asked moving forward to look.

"The ventilation system. Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out channelling massive amounts of heat down," Cathica explained.

"All the way from the top," the Doctor continued.

"Floor five hundred," I finished.

"Something up there is generating tons and tons of heat," the Doctor commented.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm missing out on a party. It's all going on upstairs. Fancy a trip?" Rose asked with a grin.

"I left the party hats in the TARDIS though," I complained jokingly.

"You can't. You need a key," Cathica protested.

"Keys are just codes, and I've got the codes right here." The Doctor soniced the monitor. "Here we go. Override two one five point nine," he read as the numbers appeared on the screen.

"How come it's given you the code?" Cathica questioned.

"Someone up there likes me," the Doctor replied, looking right into where the security camera was.

"Come on. Come with us," Rose said as the elevator door opened.

"No way," Cathica refused.

"Bye!" The Doctor said cheerfully. I waved at her.

"Well, don't mention my name. When you get in trouble, just don't involve me," Cathica told us before stalking off.

"That's her gone," the Doctor said, grinning. "Adam's given up. Looks like it's just us," he said, looking at Rose and I.

"Yeah," I replied, grinning back.

"Good."

"Yep." The Doctor punched in the override code and the elevator door closed. The Doctor reached down and grabbed my hand. Rose, who was on my other side, raised her eyebrow at the Doctor and I holding hands and smirked. I stuck my tongue out at her. She just smiled and turned back towards the door.

The elevator dinged when we reached Floor five hundred. The Doctor poked his head out. Ice covered every inch of the room. Our breath billowed out in clouds.

"The walls are not made of gold," the Doctor noticed. "You two should go back downstairs."

"And leave you here by yourself? I don't think so. Someone needs to save your butt when you get in trouble," I replied, walking out to stand next to him.

We walked through the frozen hallway and found a computer room. A man with light blonde hair and beard stood a the top of the stairs. Frozen people sat at the monitors.

"I started without you," the man informed us. "This is fascinating. Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but you two, you don't exist. Not a trace. No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?" Rose noticed a familiar person at one of the monitors. She rushed over.

"Suki. Suki! Hello? Can you hear me? Suki? What have you done to her?" She demanded of the man.

"I think she's dead," the Doctor stated. Rose turned back to Suki, confused.

"She's working."

"They've all got chips in their head, and the chips keep going," the Doctor said.

"Like puppets," I growled.

"Oh! You're full of information," the man exclaimed happily. "But it's only fair we get some information back, because apparently, you're no one. It's so rare not to know something. Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter, because we're off. Nice to meet you. Come on," the Doctor said. He grabbed my hand and started to walk off, but four frozen zombies grabbed us and kept us from exiting. The zombies spun the Doctor and I around to face the man. I saw that Suki had grabbed Rose's arm.

"Tell me who you are," the man demanded.

"Since that information's keeping us alive, I'm hardly going to say, am I," the Doctor sassed, struggling to get away. I shivered at the zombies' cold touch.

"Well, perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise."

"And who's that?" The Doctor asked.

"It may interest you to know that this is not the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. In fact, it's not actually human at all. It's merely a place where humans happen to live," the Editor stated. There was a series of growls and snarls. "Yeah. Yeah, sorry. It's a place where humans are allowed to live by kind permission of my client," the Editor corrected himself, pointing upwards. Rose, the Doctor, and I looked up to see a huge pink lump hanging from the ceiling. The pink lump had a set of nasty looking teeth and was snarling at us.

"What is that?" Rose asked, disgusted.

"You mean that thing's in charge of Satellite Five?" The Doctor asked.

"That thing, as you put it, is in charge of the human race," the Editor corrected. "For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by it's broadcast news, edited by my superior, your master, and humanity's guiding light, the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe. I call him Max." He grinned.

The Editor instructed the zombies to put the Doctor, Rose, and I in hefty sets of manacles. The Doctor stood on one end, me in the middle, and Rose on the other end.

"Create a climate of fear and it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilize an economy, invent an enemy, change a vote," the Editor stated.

"So all the people on Earth are like, slaves," Rose said.

"Well, now, there's an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?" The Editor asked.

"Yes," the Doctor and I replied.

"Oh. I was hoping for a philosophical debate," the Editor said in mock disappointment. "Is that all I'm going to get? Yes?"

"Yes," the Doctor and I replied again.

"You're no fun," the Editor pouted.

"Let me out of these manacles. You'll find out how much fun I am," the Doctor threatened.

"Oh, he's tough, isn't he," the Editor grinned at me. "But, come on. Isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit."

"You can't hide something on this scale. Somebody must have noticed," Rose protested.

The Editor shrugged. "From time to time, someone, yes, but the computer chip system allows me to see inside their brains. I can see the smallest doubt and crush it." He clenched his fist shut. "Then they just carry on, living the life, strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth like they're so individual, when of course, they're not. They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing." I spotted Cathica hiding by the door. Carefully, I slide my foot over to the Doctor and nudge his foot. He glanced at me and I gestured with my eyes to Cathica. He glanced in her direction then turned back to me and gave me an small nod.

"What about you? You're not a Jagrabelly," Rose said.

"Jagrafess," I corrected.

"Jagrafess. You're not a Jagrafess. You're human," Rose noted.

"Yeah, well, simply being human doesn't pay very well," the Editor snapped.

"But you couldn't have done this all on your own," I said.

"No. I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to install himself," the Editor explained.

"No wonder, a creature that size. What's his life span?" The Doctor questioned.

"Three thousand years."

"That's one heck of a metabolism generating all that heat. That's why Satellite Five's so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs. Jagrafess stays cool, it stays alive. Satellite Five is one great big life support system," the Doctor said.

"But that's why you're so dangerous. Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown. Who are you?" The Editor demanded again. When we didn't reply, he snapped his fingers and sent an electrical shock through the manacles. I clenched my eyes shut against the pain. My nails dug into my hand and I shook involuntarily from the shock. The electricity stopped and my knees gave way underneath me, only being held up by the manacles around my wrists.

"Leave them alone," the Doctor gasped. "I'm the Doctor, she's Elena Jackson, and she's Rose Tyler. We're nothing, we're just wandering.

"Tell me who you are!" The Editor yelled.

"I just said!" The Doctor shouted back.

"Yes, but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly," the Editor paused as the Jagrafess growled. "Time Lord," he said triumphantly.

"What?" The Doctor asked, confused as to how the Editor knew that piece of information.

"Oh, yes," the Editor grinned. "The last of the Time Lords in his traveling machine. Oh, with his little human girls from long ago." He stroked my cheek and I jerked away. I would have bit his finger, but after the electric shock I didn't have the energy.

"You don't know what you're talking about," the Doctor denied.

"Time travel," the Editor stated simply.

"Someone's been telling you lies," the Doctor lied.

"Young master Adam Mitchell?" The Editor snapped his finger and a holo-monitor appeared showing Adam sitting in a broadcast chair.

"Oh, my gosh. His head!" Rose exclaimed, horrified.

"What the heck's he done? What the heck's he gone and done? They're reading his mind. He's telling them everything," the Doctor exclaimed in despair.

"And through him, I know everything about you," the Editor explained gleefully. "Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And you have infinite knowledge, Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in your T.A.R.D.I.S. Tardis."

"Well, you'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first," the Doctor threatened.

"Die all you like. I don't need you. I've got the key," the Editor stated. As we watched, the TARDIS key rose out of Adam's pocket.

"You and your boyfriends!" The Doctor yelled in frustration.

"Today, we are the headlines. We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from ever developing," the Editor grinned triumphantly.

"And no one's going to stop you because you've bred a human race that doesn't bother to ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughter house if they're told it's made of gold," the Doctor declared angrily. We watched as Cathica darted off, now possessing the information and motivation she needed to take down the Jagrafess. The Jagrafess snarled at the Doctor.

"What's happening?" The Editor asked as we heard a bunch a beeping. "Someone's disengaged the safety. Who's that?" He pulled up an image on the holo-monitor.

"It's Cathica," Rose said, relieved.

"And she's thinking. She's using what she knows," the Doctor grinned.

"Terminate her access," the Editor demanded of the zombies.

"Everything I told her about Satellite Five. The pipes, the filters, she's reversing it. Look at that," the Doctor looked at the ice, which was now melting and the heat was pumped back up to Floor five hundred. "It's getting hot."

"I said, terminate. Burn out her mind," the Editor demanded Suki, who just sat there. Suddenly, the console exploded and the zombies collapsed. An alarm sounded through Satellite Five. Rose managed to get out of her manacles, but the Doctor and I were still stuck.

"She's venting the heat up here. The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano," the Doctor declared.

The Jagrafess snarled again. "Yes, I'm trying, sir, but I don't know how she did it," the Editor answered. "It's impossible. A member of staff with an idea." The Editor took over for Suki in an attempt to fix things. Rose tried to free the Doctor. The fished in his pocket for his sonic.

"What do I do?" She asked once she managed to find it.

"Flick the switch!" The Doctor instructed Rose then turned to the Editor. "Oi, mate, want to bank on a certainty? Massive heat in a massive body, massive bang. See you in the headlines!" Rose finally freed the Doctor, who then quickly grabbed the sonic and released my manacles. I slumped onto the Doctor. He scooped me up bridal style and ran out of the monitor room, Rose at his heels. The Doctor and Rose dodged falling chunks of ice. We found Cathica and the Doctor set me down and snapped his fingers, closing Cathica's head portal.

We made it back down to floor 139. I stood next to the Doctor, felling better, but still leaning on the Doctor a bit for support.

"We're just going to go. I hate tidying up. Too many questions. You'll manage," the Doctor told Cathica.

"You'll have to stay and explain it. No one's going to believe me," Cathica protested.

"Oh, they might start believing a lot of things now," I said.

"The human race should accelerate. All back to normal," the Doctor assured her.

"What about your friend?" Cathica questioned, gesturing to Adam, who had just made his way out of the newsroom. The Doctor's expression darkened.

"He's not my friend," the Doctor stated. He made sure I could stand on my own before stalking toward Adam.

"Now, don't..." Rose started, but the Doctor ignored her. Adam looked up and spotted is coming towards him.

"I'm all right now. Much better. And I've got the key," he assured nervously. "Look, it's... It all worked out for the best, didn't it?" The Doctor grabbed Adam by his collar and pushed him towards the TARDIS. He stopped just outside the TARDIS so he could unlock the door. "You know, it's not actually my fault, because you were in charge," Adam tried. The Doctor merely glared at him and shoved him through the door.

Adam stumbled out of the TARDIS.

"It's my house. I'm home! Oh, my gosh, I'm home! Blimey. I thought you were going to chuck me out of an airlock," Adam sighed in relief, turning to the Doctor as we exited the TARDIS. I glared at him, crossing my arms and leaning against the TARDIS door.

"We don't have an airlock to chuck you out of," I told him flatly.

"Is there something else you want to tell me?" The Doctor inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"No. What do you mean?" Adam replied innocently.

"Really? You sure?" I asked. The Doctor walked over to the telephone and picked it up.

"The archive of Satellite Five. One second of that message could've changed the world." He soniced the telephone, causing it to spark. "That's it, then. See you," the Doctor declared, stalking past Adam.

"How do you mean, see you?" Adam asked in confusion.

"As in goodbye," I retorted.

"But what about me? You can't just go. I've got my head. I've got a chip type two. My head opens," Adam protested.

"What, like this?" The Doctor asked innocently, snapping his fingers, causing Adam's head to open.

"Don't," Adam said, annoyed. He snapped his fingers to close his head.

"Don't do what?" The Doctor snapped his fingers again. I giggled.

"Stop it!" Adam protested angrily, snapping his fingers.

"We have no idea what you're talking about," I retorted innocently. I then smirked evilly and snapped my fingers.

"Cut it out!"

"All right now, Doctor, Elena, that's enough. Stop it," Rose said, holding up a hand.

"Thank you," Adam told Rose. She smirked and snapped her fingers.

"Oi!"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Rose apologized with a laugh. Adam sighed in frustration and snapped his fingers.

"The whole of history could have changed because of you," the Doctor told Adam angrily.

"I just wanted to help," Adam protested.

"You were helping yourself," the Doctor accused.

"And I'm sorry. I've said I'm sorry, and I am, I really am, but you can't just leave me like this."

"You should have thought about that before you went and got the door in your head," I scoffed.

"Yes I can," the Doctor replied. "'Cause if you show that head to anyone, they'll dissect you in seconds. You'll have to live a very quiet life. Keep out of trouble. Be average, unseen. Good luck." The Doctor opened the TARDIS door.

"But I want to come with you," Adam pleaded.

"I only take the best. I've got Elena and Rose," the Doctor replied, causing Rose and I to grin at each other. I glared one last time at Adam before entering the TARDIS, just as Adam' mom walked in the front door. A moment later, Rose came in and the TARDIS dematerialized.

Later I was sitting on my bed, doing another sketch. This time I was attempting to sketch the Doctor. I was beginning to get frustrated as I couldn't seem to get it to look right. I erased his eyes for what seemed like the millionth time and let out a frustrated groan. I snapped my sketch book shut and flopped onto my stomach. I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in," I said, my words muffled by my comforter. The door opened and closed and I felt the bed dip as the person sat down beside me. I knew it was the Doctor as the familiar smell of his leather jacket reached my nose.

"Having trouble with your drawing?" He asked, eyeing a few of the crumpled pieces of paper that littered my floor.

"Just a bit," I muttered sarcastically. I sat up and looked at him. "Did you need something?" I asked.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. That electric shock seemed to affect you pretty hard," he answered, looking at me with concern. I felt a warm feeling in my stomach. It touched my heart to know that he cared about me.

I smiled. "I'm fine now," I assured him. "The shock was a bit strong, but I'm better now. Just needed a bit to regain the use of my legs." He nodded and made to get up and leave the room. "Did you really mean it when you said that Rose and I were the best?" I asked him, nervously picking at my nail. It had been something that I had been wondering about. The Doctor paused, hand on the doorknob.

He blinked. "Course I did. Why would I say it if I didn't mean it?" He asked, looking at me confused.

"It's, it's just that," I paused, trying to find the right words. "I know just about everything that is going to happen. I know who is going to die and yet, I let it happen." I looked down at my hands. "I knew what Adam was going to do and that Suki was going to die, yet I did nothing to prevent it. How can you say I'm the best when I let stuff like that happen?" I sniffed, a tear running down my face. The Doctor walked back over to the bed and sat down next to me.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" He asked, gently placing a hand on my cheek, making me look at him. He wiped the tear with his thumb. "You can't stop everything, no matter how hard you try," he told me softly. "You're only human. Even I can't stop everyone from dying. If I could, that would make me a god, and I would be a terrible god." I smiled tearfully at him.

"Yeah, you would. Imagine a god with big ears," I teased, reaching up and pulling on his ears lightly.

"Oi!" The Doctor protested. I laughed. He smiled at me then leaned forward and kissed my forehead. I blushed. I really needed to stop doing that. "Get some sleep, Elena."

"Goodnight, Doctor," I said as he left. I tossed my sketch pad off my bed and pulled back the covers. "Goodnight, sexy," I told the TARDIS as I pulled the covers up.

"Goodnight, my sweet Elena," she replied, turning off the lights for me. I smiled to myself as I fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review and let me know what you think. I don't know when I will be able to update again. Merry Christmas!**


	9. The Empty Child

**Hello readers! I want to thank everyone who has reviewed this story along with all the followers and favorites. It really mean a lot to me to know that people like reading my story. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

* * *

The last adventure wasn't so fun. Rose had decided she wanted to visit her dad. Now, there was nothing wrong with that, except her dad died when she was six months old. She explained to us how her father, Pete Tyler, had been hit by a car on the way to a wedding. He was alone when he died and Rose wanted to change that. The Doctor had been a bit hesitant at first, but eventually conceded. We had gone to Pete and Jackie's wedding and watched as Pete messed up Jackie's name during the vows. We had then gone to the day he died. Rose had been unable to bring herself to run out to him after he was hit. We reluctantly took her for another try, but instead of waiting until after he had been hit to run to him, Rose ran out and tackled him to the ground, saving his life. That had caused time to start to collapse. The Doctor had threatened to leave Rose behind, but when he and I got back to the TARDIS, we found it had become an ordinary wooden box. These alien creatures called Reapers appeared to cleanse time. We wound up crashing the wedding Pete had been heading to and ushering everyone inside the church. Eventually the Reapers had gotten into the church after Rose accidentally touched her younger self and the Doctor sacrificed himself to buy us more time. I broke down, everything after that was a blur. I had been sitting outside on the church steps after Pete had sacrificed himself to set time right when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see the Doctor standing over me, his brows furrowed in concern. I tackled him in a hug, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck and my legs around his waist. He wobbled slightly, caught off guard, but quickly regained his balance as he returned the hug. I buried my face in the crook of his neck and he patted my back soothingly. After I had let go of the Doctor, we walked over to Rose and encouraged her to go to her dad as he lay dying in the street. When he was gone, The Doctor, Rose, and I walked back to the TARDIS, hand in hand.

Currently, we were all in the TARDIS console room hanging on for dear life as the Doctor piloted us. The TARDIS shook and groaned in protest.

"What's the emergency?" Rose asked, hanging onto part of the console to keep herself upright.

"It's mauve," the Doctor explained while running around the console.

"Mauve?" Rose asked in confusion.

"The universally recognized color for danger," I answered, flipping a switch.

"What happened to red?" Rose questioned.

"That's just humans," the Doctor dismissed. "By everyone else's standards, red's camp. Oh, the misunderstandings. All those red alerts, all that dancing." He chuckled before checking the monitor. "It's got a very basic flight computer. I've hacked in, slaved the Tardis. Where it goes, we go."

"And that's safe, is it?" Rose asked, suspiciously.

"Totally," the Doctor replied. There was a loud bang and the TARDIS jolted violently, sending sparks flying.

"What was that you said about being safe?" I inquired, righting myself.

"Okay, reasonably," the Doctor corrected. "Should have said reasonably there." Suddenly, the object we were following changed courses and disappeared from the screen. "No, no, no, no! It's jumping time tracks, getting away from us." The Doctor frantically pushed a few buttons, trying to find the object.

"What exactly is this thing?" Rose asked.

"No idea," the Doctor replied with a grin.

"Then why are we chasing it?" Rose asked indignantly.

"Because it's mauve and dangerous," I told her, gripping the console tightly as we bounced around.

"And about thirty seconds from the centre of London," the Doctor finished.

The TARDIS materialized the Doctor stepped out first.

"Do you know how long you can knock around space without happening to bump into Earth?" The Doctor asked rhetorically, gazing around the dark alleyway we had landed in.

"Five days? Or is that just when we're out of milk?" Rose answered.

"Of all the species in all the Universe and it has to come out of a cow," the Doctor said, shaking his head.

I turned to him, raising my eyebrows. "Well, what species is it supposed to come out of?" I asked him. He opened his mouth to reply, then thought for a moment, and closed it again. I smirked at him and he rolled his and walked down the alley. I suddenly had the feeling that we were being watched. I glanced around, but saw no one other than Rose and the Doctor. I shook my head and followed the Doctor.

"Must have come down somewhere quite close. Within a mile, anyway," the Doctor mused. "And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month."

"A month?" Rose asked, surprised. "We were right behind it."

"It was jumping time tracks all over the place. We're bound to be a little bit out," the Doctor stated, like it was obvious. "Do you want to drive?"

"Yeah. How much is a little?" Rose asked skeptically.

"A bit," the Doctor replied, vaguely.

"Is that exactly a bit?" Rose asked, eyeing the Doctor.

"Ish."

I rolled my eyes, an amused smile on my face. "Let's face it, Rose, the Doctor has never been great at piloting the TARDIS."

Rose laughed. "True."

"Oi!" The Doctor protested. "I fly her just fine."

"Doctor," I said, turning to him with my hands on my hips, "you threw the TARDIS manual into a super nova because you disagreed with it."

"I know how to fly the TARDIS. I don't need a manual," he scoffed.

I rolled my eyes. "I think the TARDIS would disagree."

"What's the plan, then?" Rose asked, cutting off the Doctor and I's bantering. "Are you going to do a scan for alien tech or something?"

"Rose, it hit the middle of London with a very loud bang. I'm going to ask," the Doctor stated, showing Rose his psychic paper.

"Doctor John Smith, Ministry of Asteroids," Rose read.

"It's psychic paper. It tells you," the Doctor started.

"Whatever you want it to tell me, I remember," Rose interrupted.

"Sorry," he apologized. We walked up to a door that said 'Deliveries Only'. The Doctor starts working on the door.

"Not very Spock, is it, just asking,". Rose commented.

"Door, music, people. What do you think?" The Doctor asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I think you should do a scan for alien tech. Give me some Spock, for once. Would it kill you?" Rose asked exasperatedly. The Doctor ignored her. He managed to get the door open and looked back at Rose and I.

"Are you sure about that t-shirt?" He questioned, eyeing Rose Union Jack t-shirt. He glanced over at me. "Not sure your's in any better," he said, gesturing to my shirt.

"The TARDIS wouldn't let me wear anything else," I complained, pulling at my shirt, which had a Captain America shield on it. It was true. I had opened my closet this morning looking for something to wear and only to find one shirt hanging. I had asked the TARDIS to let me wear something else, but she had remained silent. It's not that I didn't like this shirt, but I had a feeling where we were going to end up next, and I didn't want to end up hanging from a barrage ballon with a Captain America shield on my chest.

Rose shrugged. "Too early to say. I'm taking it out for a spin."

"Mummy? Mummy?" I heard a voice say. I glanced around for the source of the voice and spotted a child in a gas mask standing on the roof of the building.

"Come on if you're coming. It won't take a minute," the Doctor said before heading inside.

"Mummy?" The child repeated. Rose turned around also looking for the source of the voice. I nudged her and pointed to the child. Rose's eyes widened.

"Doctor? Doctor? There's a kid up there!" She called, hoping to get the Doctor's attention, but he was already out of earshot. "Are you all right up there?" She called to the toddler.

"Mummy?" The toddler repeated again.

"Come on," I told Rose and ran over to the fire escape staircase. I had no intentions of getting close to the kid, but we needed to meet Jack so here I was. Rose followed after me. We climbed to the top and stood up on the door. The child was still another level above us.

"Mummy?"

"Okay, hang on. Don't move!" Rose told the child. A rope suddenly dropped down and smacked me in the face, causing me to stumble slightly.

"Ow," I muttered, rubbing my nose. Rose looked at me questioningly, silently wondering if we should climb it. I answered her question by grabbing the rope and climbing up. She followed my lead. We managed to make it about halfway.

"Mummy. Balloon!" the child said, pointing at the barrage ballon our rope was attached to.

"Here we go," I muttered. Rose let out a squawk of surprise as the ballon drifted away, pulling us with it. I hung on tight as we dangled over the alleyway.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled frantically. "Doctor! Doctor!" Searchlights combed the sky. Explosions went off and started fires in London below us. German planes zoomed by, causing Rose to squeal in fear and me to cling tighter to the rope and clamp my eyes shut as we swung around.

"I'm slipping!" Rose cried as she slipped of couple feet down the rope.

"Hang on, Rose!" I yell at her over the explosions and planes. 'Come one, Jack,' I thought desperately. I could feel my grip loosening. Rose finally lost her grip and fell, screaming. "Rose!" I screamed, jerking around. I lost my grip and screamed. 'Jack, you better catch us!' I thought loudly as I fell. Suddenly, Rose and I were enveloped in a blue light, stopping our descent.

" **Okay, okay, I've got you two** ," Jack called through the speaker.

"Who's got us?" Rose cried, breathing heavily. "Who's got us, and you know, how?" She glanced around the beam Jack had caught us in.

" **I'm just programming your descent pattern. Keep as still as you can and keep your hands and feet inside the light field,** " Jack said.

"Is this a tractor beam or a roller coaster?" I muttered, crossing my arms. While I appreciated be saved from falling to my death, I didn't really like hanging in midair in the middle of the London Blitz.

"Descent pattern?" Rose questioned, confused.

" **Oh, and could you switch off your cell phone?** " Jack asked. " **No, seriously, it interferes with my instrument** ," he insisted.

"You know, no one ever believes that," Rose grumbled, but pulled out her phone and switched it off. I did the same with my phone.

" **Thank you. That's much better,** " Jack replied.

"Oh, yeah, that's a real load off, that is. I'm hanging in the sky in the middle of a German air raid with the Union Jack across my chest, but hey, my mobile phone's off!" Rose yelled sarcastically. I chuckled lightly.

" **Be with you in a moment.** " It was quiet for a moment aside from the explosions. " **Hold tight** "

"To what?" Rose and I asked together.

Jack paused for a moment. " **Fair point.** " Rose and I hurtled down the tractor beam, screaming the whole way, Rose in fear and me in delight.

"Woo!" I yelled, my hands in the air as I zoomed down the beam. We entered Jacks ship and Rose fell into his arms. I, on the other hand, collapsed to the ground with a thud. "Ow," I muttered, from my place on the floor of Jack's ship.

"I've got you. You're fine, you're just fine," Jack assured Rose, who looked a little worse for wear. "The tractor beam, it can scramble your head just a little."

Rose looked up at Jack. "Hello," she greeted, grinning.

"Hello," Jack greeted back.

"Hello," Rose repeated before shaking her head. "Sorry, that was hello twice there. Dull, but you know, thorough."

"Are you all right?" Jack questioned with raised eyebrows.

"Fine," Rose nodded. Jack set her down. "Why, are you expecting me to faint or something?"

' _Girls usually do around him_ ,' I thought cheekily.

"You look a little dizzy," Jack replied, placing a hand in Rose's shoulder to steady her as she wobbled.

"What about you? You're not even in focus," Rose laughed before fainting into Jack's arms. Jack picked her up again and placed her in his bunk.

"Par for your course eh, Jack?" I teased, getting up from the floor and brushing off my butt. Jack froze and turned around.

"How do you know my name," he asked, narrowing his eyes at me suspiciously.

' _Uh,oh,_ ' I thought. I hadn't meant to say that out loud. I guess the tractor beam messed my head up a bit. ' _Quick! Think of something!_ '

"I've met you before," I told him truthfully. "A future you."

"Really?" He asked, still not convinced.

"I haven't been stalking you, if that's what you're wondering," I replied, crossing my arms. "I'm a time traveler. I don't meet people in the right order. I met you for the first time when you had already known me for years."

He stared at me for a moment before finally relaxing. He walked over and sat in his chair. "Well, it seems I'm at a disadvantage then. You know my name, but I don't know yours," he said, placing his elbows on his knees.

I smiled. "Elena, Elena Jackson," I told him. "But you can calls me Els. That's what you called me when I met you for the first time."

He smiled back. "Well, then Els, nice to meet you."

"Same to you, Jack," I said. We both looked around at the sound of Rose stirring.

"Better now?" Jack asked Rose. She stood up, holding onto the side for support.

"You got lights in here?" Rose asked. Jack turned on the lights and Rose blinked. The ship was small a cramped. Wires hung from the ceiling.

"Hello," Jack greeted.

"Hello," Rose greeted back.

"Hello," Jack repeated with a smirk.

"Let's not start that again," Rose protested with a laugh.

"Okay," Jack chuckled. I smiled in amusement. I liked Jack. He may be a con man now, but the Doctor turns him around later.

"So, who're you supposed to be, then?" Rose asked, eyeing Jack. She plopped herself down on the bunk and I walked over to join her.

"Captain Jack Harkness, One Three Three Squadron, Royal Air Force. American volunteer," he answered, passing Rose his psychic paper.

"Liar," Rose accused with a smirk, reading whatever the paper said. "This is psychic paper. It tells me whatever you want it to tell me." I reached over and took the paper from her, curious to see if it would be blank. Sure enough, it remained blank just like the Doctor's had back on Platform One.

"How do you know?" Jack asked curiously.

"Two things," I replied. "One, we have a friend who uses psychic paper all the time."

"Ah," Jack said, deflating slightly.

"And two," Rose continued as she took the psychic paper back from me. "you just handed me a piece of paper telling me you're single and you work out." I chuckled quietly.

"Tricky thing, psychic paper," Jack replied, shifting a bit in his seat.

"Yeah," Rose agreed. "Can't let your mind wander when you're handing it over." She passed Jack his paper back and he glanced down at it.

"Oh, you sort of have a boyfriend called Mickey Smith but you consider yourself to be footloose and fancy free," Jack read, smirking.

"What?" Rose asked, surprised.

"Actually, the word you use is available," Jack corrected.

"No way," Rose denied, shaking her head.

"And another one, very."

"Footloose and fancy free, huh?" I teased Rose.

She nudged me. "Shut up," she muttered.

"And you," Jack said, looking at me. I raised my eyebrows. "It says you're taken and you think I would make a good big brother." Rose turned and raised an eyebrow at me.

I blushed. "I kind of wondered what it would be like to have any older sibling. I'm the oldest child in my family," I replied, choosing to ignore the 'taken' part.

"Shall we try and get along without the psychic paper?" Rose interrupted.

"That would be better, wouldn't it?" Jack agreed.

Rose glanced around the small space. "Nice spaceship," she complimented.

"Gets me around," Jack shrugged.

"Meh," I said. "I prefer the TARDIS."

"Very Spock," Rose commented.

"Who?" Jack asked, confused.

"Guessing you're not a local boy, then," Rose said, still looking around the ship.

"What tipped you off?" I asked sarcastically. I placed my hands behind me to lean back on, but winced as I felt pain in my hands. I held them up to inspect them. I had rope burns from gripping the rope.

"Cell phones, a liquid crystal watch, and fabrics that won't be around for at least another two decades. Guessing you're not local girls," Jack retorted with a smirk.

"Guessing right," Rose replied. She reached forward to touch a piece of the control panel and let out a small gasp of pain. She pulled her hands back and inspected them.

"Burn your hands on the rope?" Jack asked, looking back and forth between Rose and I. A bomb flew past and Rose leaned over the control panel to get a look out the window.

"Yeah. We're parked in midair!" She exclaimed. "Can't anyone down there see us?"

Jack shook his head. "No. Can I have a look at your hands for a moment?" He held out his hand for Rose.

Rose eyed Jack suspiciously. "Why?"

"Please?" He asked. She stared at him for a moment before relenting. He took her hand and began to scan it with some device. "You two can stop acting now. I know exactly who you are. I can spot a Time Agent a mile away."

"Time Agent?" Rose questioned, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"I've been expecting one of you guys to show up. Though not, I must say, by barrage balloon. Do you often travel that way?" He asked, looking somewhat amused.

"Sometimes we get swept off my feet. By balloons," Rose laughed nervously. "What are you doing?"

Jack wrapped his scarf around her wrists. "Try to keep still," he told Rose. He reached behind her and flicked a switch. A cloud of golden dust appeared around Rose's hands. "Nanogenes. Sub-atomic robots," Jack explained, while Rose stared at the golden cloud hovering around her hands. "The air in here is full of them. They just repaired three layers of your skin." The nanogenes dissipated and Jack untied the scarf.

"Well, tell them thanks," Rose smiled. She inspected her newly healed hands in awe.

Jack then turned to me. "Now, you're turn." He walked over and knelt in front of me. "Hold still," he said as he wrapped the scarf around me wrists. He reached over and flicked the switch and the nanogenes appeared around my hands. I felt a tingling sensation as they repaired my skin. Jack flicked the switch again and the nanogenes disappeared. Jack removed the scarf and stood up.

"Thanks," I said with a smile.

"Shall we get down to business?" Jack said, replacing the scarf around his neck.

"Business?" Rose inquired.

"Shall we have a drink on the balcony? Bring up the glasses," Jack said, opening the hatch the the roof of his ship. He jogged up the stairs leaving Rose and I to grab the glasses. Rose and I followed Jack up the stairs. Explosion were going off in London below us and planes flew by. I walked out onto the roof a little cautious. Rose followed after.

"I know I'm standing on something," Rose stated, pausing as she stepped onto the roof. From what we could see, there was no roof. We seemed to be standing in midair. Jack just smirked and pressed a button on the device he had in his hand. The ship became visible. "Okay, you have an invisible spaceship."

"Yeah," Jack replied, grinning.

"Tethered up to Big Ben for some reason," Rose commented, looking around to see the huge clock tower.

"First rule of active camouflage," I said, my hand in my jacket pockets. "Park somewhere you'll remember."

"Quite right," Jack said. He popped the cork on the bottle of champagne he had brought with him. He took the three glasses from Rose and filled each with champagne. He handed Rose and I each a glass and we toasted. I took a sip of the fizzy liquid and immediately spit it back in the glass.

After a couple of drinks Rose spoke. "You know, it's getting a bit late. We should really be getting back."

"We're discussing business," Jack protested.

"This isn't business. This is champagne," I said. I hadn't touched my drink, but kept dumping it over the side of the ship when I thought Jack wasn't looking. I hoped I hadn't dumped champagne on anybody walking bellow us, though with the raid going on, everyone was probably in their bomb shelters.

"I try never to discuss business with a clear head. Are you two traveling alone? Are either of you authorized to negotiate with me?" Jack asked us.

"What would we be negotiating?" Rose questioned.

"I have something for the Time Agency. Something they'd like to buy," Jack explained. "Are you in power to make payment?"

"Actually, I think that would be more of our companion's area of expertise," I said, crossing my arms.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Companion?"

"We should really be getting back to him," Rose agreed.

"He gets rather worried when we wonder off on our own," I replied.

"Him?" Jack said, slightly surprised.

"Do you have the time?" Rose asked. Jack pressed another button on his remote. The clock face of Big Ben lit up as it chimed nine thirty. "Okay, that was flash. That was on the flash side," Rose said with a giggle.

"So when you say your companion, just how disappointed should I be?" Jack inquired, moving close to Rose.

"Okay, we're standing in midair," Rose stated, eyeing Jack with a small smile.

"Mmm-hmm," Jack acknowledged, brining Rose's hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to her hand.

"On a spaceship, during a German air raid," Rose continued. "Do you really think now's a good time to be coming on to me?"

Jack paused. "Perhaps not," he said, releasing her hand.

"It was just a suggestion," Rose said with a shrug.

"Do you like Glenn Miller?" Jack asked, turning around and pressing yet another button on his remote. 'Moonlight Serenade' began to play. Jack took Rose in his arms and they began to sway back and forth to the song. I stood off to the side, feeling a bit awkward as I watched them dance. "It's 1941, the height of the London Blitz, the height of the German bombing campaign, and something else has fallen on London. A fully equipped Chula warship," Jack explained as he and Rose danced. "The last one in existence, armed to the teeth. And I know where it is, because I parked it. If the Agency can name the right price, I can get it for you. But in two hours, a German bomb is going to fall on it and destroy it forever. That's your deadline. That's the deal. Now, shall we discuss payment?"

"Do you know what I think?" Rose said, smiling.

"What?" Jack asked.

"I think you were talking just then," Rose replied. I rolled my eyes.

"Two hours," Jack repeated, "the bomb falls. There'll be nothing left but dust and a crater."

"Promises, promises," Rose teased.

"Are you listening to any of this?" Jack inquired.

"You used to be a Time Agent, now you're some kind of freelancer," Rose said, giving her own summed up version of what Jack had said.

"Well, that's a little harsh," Jack complained. "I like to think of myself as a criminal."

"I bet you do," I pipped up.

Jack turned to me. "So, this companion of yours, does he handle the business?"

"Typically," I replied, crossing my arms. "Like I said earlier, it's more his area of expertise."

"Well, maybe we should go find him," Jack suggested.

"And how're you going to do that?" Rose inquired.

"Easy'" Jack replied. "I'll do a scan for alien tech."

"Finally, a professional," Rose said in relief. I chuckled and rolled my eyes.

We made it to the hospital where Jack's scan for alien tech said the Doctor would be. We opened the front doors.

"This is it," Jack said, walking in, Rose and I at his heels. We walked through the halls, looking for any sign of our alien companion. "Hello?" Jack called, his voice echoing through the empty halls.

"Hello?" Rose repeated.

"Doctor?" I joined in.

"Hello?" Jack called again, peeking around a corner. The Doctor came through one of the doors further down the hallway and looked in the direction of our voices. "Good evening," Jack greeted, walking over to the Doctor. "Hope we're not interrupting. Jack Harkness." Jack shook the Doctor's hand. "I've been hearing all about you on the way over." The Doctor glanced at Rose and I questioningly.

"He knows," I told the Doctor. "We had to tell him about us being Time Agents." The Doctor nodded though he still looked a bit confused.

"And it's a real pleasure to meet you, Mister Spock," Jack said before walking down the hall and into the room the Doctor had just vacated.

"Mister Spock?" The Doctor asked me.

I held up my hands in surrender. "Don't look at me. Rose came up with the name," I replied, throwing the blonde under the bus.

"What was I supposed to say?" Rose defended herself. "You don't have a name. Don't you ever get tired of Doctor? Doctor who?" I grinned. She said the thing!

"Nine centuries in, I'm coping," the Doctor replied flatly. "Where've you two been? We're in the middle of a London Blitz. It's not a good time for a stroll," he scolded.

"Strolling is boring" I replied, heading in the direction Jack went, Rose and the Doctor following behind. "We decided to take a barrage balloon. Only way to see an air raid."

"What?!" The Doctor asked, shocked. If I had been looking at him I would have seen the look of shock and worry on his face.

"Listen," Rose said, gaining the Doctor attention, "what's a Chula warship?"

The Doctor paused in his steps "Chula?" He asked in confusion.

We entered the ward to find Jack using the device on his wrist to examine one of the many patients lying in the beds lining the walls. A desk sat in the middle of the room with a man in a doctor's coat sitting in a chair beside it. Each of the patients and doctor had a gas mask. They all appeared to be sleeping.

"This just isn't possible," Jack said in disbelief, checking the results of his scan. "How did this happen?"

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" The Doctor asked Jack.

"What?" Jack asked, confused by the unexpected question.

"He said it was a warship. He stole it, parked it somewhere out there, somewhere a bomb's going to fall on it unless we make him an offer," Rose explained.

"So you were listening," I teased her. She ignored me.

"What kind of warship?" The Doctor asked again, more forcefully.

"Does it matter? It's got nothing to do with this," Jack said in annoyance, his voice rising as he gestured to the patients.

"This started at the bomb site. It's got everything to do with it. What kind of warship?" The Doctor yelled.

"An ambulance!" Jack yelled back. "Look." He pressed a button on his wrist device and a hologram of the object we had been chasing appeared. "That's what you chased through the Time Vortex. It's space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable. It's empty. I made sure of it. Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle, love the retro look, by the way, nice panels. Threw you the bait."

"Bait?" Rose questioned, offended.

"I wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before you found out it was junk," Jack continued.

"You said it was a war ship," Rose accused.

"They have ambulances in wars, Rose," I told her.

"It was a con. I was conning you," Jack replied dejectedly. "That's what I am, I'm a con man. I thought you were Time Agents. You're not, are you."

I shook my head. "Nope," I said, popping the 'p' and grasping my hands behind my back. "Just a couple more freelancers."

"Oh. Should have known," Jack scoffed. "The way you guys are blending in with the local color. I mean, Flag Girl was bad enough, but U-Boat Captain?" He said gesturing to Rose and then the Doctor. "Though, I'm liking the Captain America thing," he told me. I grinned. "Anyway, whatever's happening here has got nothing to do with that ship," Jack insisted.

"What is happening here, Doctor?" Rose asked, glancing around the room.

"Human DNA is being rewritten by an idiot," the Doctor bit out.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor replied. "Some kind of virus converting human beings into these things. But why? What's the point?" Suddenly, all the patients sat up.

"Mummy. Mummy. Mummy? Mummy?" All the patients said.

"What's happening?" Rose asked worriedly.

"I don't know," The Doctor replied. The patients and Doctor Constantine, the man in the chair by the desk, all stood up.

"Mummy," the patients repeated, advancing towards us.

"Don't let them touch you," the Doctor warned as we started backing away from the gas mask zombies. He grabbed my hand.

"What happens if they touch us?" Rose asked.

"You're looking at it," I replied, gripping the Doctor's hand tightly. We backed up into a wall and the patients continued to advance.

"Help me, mummy," the zombies pleaded. "Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy."

* * *

 **I hope you liked it. Please review and let me know what you think. Merry Christmas!**


	10. The Doctor Dances

**Hello readers! Sorry I took so long to post this. I haven't had much internet connection lately. The next chapter will be posted on either the third or fourth. The year just seemed to go by so fast. I have just finished writing Tooth and Claw, but it and other chapters still need to be tweeked. Anyway, enough chatting here is The Doctor Dances.**

 **Diclaimer: I own nothing but my oc.**

* * *

"Mummy. Mummy," the patients repeated. They were almost within touching distance of us.

"Go to your room," I said firmly. The gas mask zombies stood still. "Go to your room. I mean it. I'm very, very angry with you." I did my best to sound angry despite how sacred I was. "I am very, very cross. Go to your room!" I shouted, pointing to the ceiling. Slowly, the patients returned to their beds. I let out a sigh of relief. "I'm really glad that worked. Those would have been terrible last words," I joked lightly, attempting to cover up how scared I had been. I may have known what was going to happen, but watching the episodes on tv and actually living them was totally different. We walked back to the middle of the room.

"Why are they all wearing gas masks?" Rose asked, glancing at each of the patients.

"They're not," Jack said, reclining in Doctor Constantine's chair. "Those masks are flesh and bone."

"How was your con supposed to work?" the Doctor inquired, glaring at Jack.

Jack shrugged. "Simple enough, really. Find some harmless piece of space junk, let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth, convince him it's valuable, name a price. When he's put fifty percent up front, oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never gets to see what he's paid for, never knows he's been had. I buy him a drink with his own money, and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con."

"Yeah. Perfect," the Doctor muttered sarcastically.

"The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners," Jack explained. "Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day." He laughed, but stopped when he saw the Doctor wasn't joining in. "Getting a hint of disapproval."

"Take a look around the room. This is what your harmless piece of space-junk did," the Doctor replied angrily, gesturing to the gas mask zombies laying peacefully on their beds.

"It was a burnt-out medical transporter. It was empty," Jack protested.

"Elena. Rose," the Doctor called. Rose and I jogged after him as he walked to the door.

"Are we getting out of here?" Rose questioned hopefully.

"We're going upstairs," the Doctor replied.

"I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living," Jack continued, getting to his feet. "I harmed no-one. I don't know what's happening here, but believe me, I had nothing to do with it."

The Doctor glared at Jack. "I'll tell you what's happening. You forgot to set your alarm clock. It's volcano day." A siren sounded in the distance.

"What's that?" Rose asked, tilting her head.

"The all clear," Jack replied.

"I wish," the Doctor said flatly before grabbing my hand and heading upstairs, leaving Jack and Rose behind. We walked down another hallway and came to a thick metal door.

"Mister Spock?" Jack called a few minutes later.

"Doctor?" Rose added, her and Jack still on the flight below us.

The Doctor poked his head around the corner of the staircase. "Have you got a blaster?" He asked Jack. Rose and Jack came jogging back to the stairs, having passed it in their search.

"Sure!" Jack responded happily.

"The night your space-junk landed, someone was hurt. This was where they were taken," the Doctor explained, gesturing to the door.

"What happened?" Rose inquired.

"Let's find out. Get it open," the Doctor told Jack. Jack obliged and pulled out his blaster.

"Something wrong with your sonic screwdriver?" I asked the Doctor quietly, raising an eyebrow.

"No," he replied. Jack disintegrated a square hole in the door. "Sonic blaster, fifty first century. Weapon Factories of Villengard?" The Doctor took the blaster from Jack and examined it.

"You've been to the factories?" Jack asked curiously.

"Once," the Doctor responded, handing the blaster back.

"Well, they gone now, destroyed. The main reactor went critical. Vaporized the lot," Jack said.

"Like I said. Once. There's a banana grove there, now. I like bananas. Bananas are good," the Doctor said with a grin.

I shook my head in amusement as we climbed through the hole. "You and your bananas."

"What?" The Doctor asked indignantly. "What wrong with bananas?"

"Tell you what," I told him, "if we survive the gas mask zombies, I will make you a banana smoothie when we get back to the TARDIS." The Doctor grinned.

"Squareness gun," I heard Rose say.

"Yeah," Jack replied.

"I like it," Rose complimented.

I poked my head back through the hole. "If guys could stop flirting and focus that would be great," I said.

"Right, sorry," Rose apologized. She and Jack climbed through the hole.

The room we now stood in was a mess. Filing cabinets were tipped over and a chair laid on its side. There was another room on the other side of the wall, an observation window allowing us to see through to the room. Child's drawings littered the walls of the other room and the observation window was broken. In short, it looked liked something had been trapped in the room and had managed to escape.

"What do you think?" The Doctor asked Jack.

Jack inspected the room. "Something got out of here," he replied.

"Yeah. And?" The Doctor pressed.

"Something powerful. Angry," Jack added.

"Powerful and angry," the Doctor repeated. I walked into the other room. A small bed sat in the corner. I spotted a teddy bear lying on the floor and walked over and licked it up.

' _Poor Jamie_ ,' I thought as I gently stroked the bear. ' _All he wants is his mommy_.' I tucked the teddy bear into my jacket pocket. I decided to give it to him later, once we've saved him and the rest of the patients.

"A child?" Jack asked, shocked. "I suppose this explains Mummy."

"How could a child do this?" Rose questioned, looking at the carnage around the room. The Doctor turned on a tape machine that was siting on a desk.

" **Do you know where you are?** " Dr. Constantine asked.

" **Are you my mummy?** " A child inquired.

" **Are you aware of what's around you? Can you see?** " Constantine pressed.

" **Are you my mummy?** " The child repeated.

" **What do you want? Do you know...** " Constantine began, but was interrupted by the child.

" **I want my mummy. Are you my mummy? I want my mummy! Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy? Mummy? Mummy?** " The child repeated over and over. I blinked away tears as I listened to the recording.

"Doctor, Elena and I have heard this voice before," Rose said.

"Me too," the Doctor replied.

" **Mummy?** " The child said again.

"Always are you my mummy?. Like he doesn't know," Rose mused.

" **Mummy?** "

"Why doesn't he know?" Rose asked.

" **Are you there, mummy? Mummy?** " The child continued to repeat. " **Mummy? Please, mummy? Mummy?** "

I glanced at the Doctor who appeared to be deep in thought, his brows furrowed in concentration. "Doctor?" I asked softly, walking up to him.

"Can you sense it?" He asked as he started pacing around the room. I nodded, suppressing a shiver. It felt like we were being watched.

"Sense what?" Jack inquired, confused.

"Coming out of the walls. Can you feel it?" the Doctor asked again.

" **Mummy?** " The child said again.

"Funny little human brains,," the Doctor commented, pausing in his pacing. "How do you get around in those things?" I would have smacked him, but given our situation I decided to let the comment slide.

"When he's stressed, he likes to insult species," Rose explained to Jack.

"Rose, I'm thinking," the Doctor said in annoyance.

"He cuts himself shaving, he does half an hour on life forms he's cleverer than," I added.

"Elena, hush," the Doctor said, stopping in front of the observation Windows. I huffed in annoyance. "There are these children living rough round the bomb sites. They come out during air-raids looking for food," the Doctor began.

" **Mummy, please?** " The child pleaded.

"Suppose they were there when this thing, whatever it was, landed?" The Doctor continued, ignoring the tape.

"It was a med-ship. It was harmless," Jack protested.

"Yes, you keep saying harmless. Suppose one of them was affected, altered?" The Doctor suggested.

"Altered how?" Rose asked nervously.

"I'm here!" The child said. I glanced over to the tape to find that it had run out.

"Um, Doctor," I said quietly, eyeing the tape player. The Doctor ignored me and continued his rambling.

"It's afraid. Terribly afraid and powerful. It doesn't know it yet, but it will do. It's got the power of a god, and Elena just sent it to it's room," the Doctor realized, his eyes widening.

"Doctor," I tried again.

"I'm here. Can't you see me?" The child asked.

"What's that noise?" Rose asked, glancing around the room for the source.

"End of the tape," I informed them. "It ran out about thirty seconds ago."

"I'm here, now. Can't you see me?" The child repeated.

"I sent it to it's room. This is it's room," I said, my eyes widening in realization. I spun around to to see the child Rose and I had tried to rescue earlier standing in the doorway.

"Are you my mummy? Mummy?" He asked.

"Doctor?" Rose asked, worriedly. We all started backing up.

"Okay, on my signal make for the door," Jack reaching hand into his belt as he moved behind the Doctor.

"Mummy?" The child said again.

"Now!" Jack yelled, pulling out his blaster and pointing it at the patients over the Doctor's shoulder, only to find it was a banana. He stared at the fruit in confusion.

"Mummy?" The child repeated.

The Doctor pulled Jack's blaster out and dissolved a square hole in the wall next to us. "Go now!" He ushered us through the door. Rose and I waisted no time climbing through the hole. "Don't drop the banana!" He yelled at Jack.

"Why not?!" Jack asked, clambering through the hole after Rose and I.

"Good source of potassium!" The Doctor replied.

Jack grabbed the blaster back from the Doctor "Give me that!"

"Mummy. I want my mummy," the child said yet again.

Jack quickly pressed a button and pointed his blaster at the hole and repaired the wall. "Digital rewind. Nice switch," Jack complimented, tossing the banana back to the Doctor.

"It's from the groves of Villengard. I thought it was appropriate," the Doctor said, smirking.

"When exactly did you have the time to switch the gun?" I asked incredulously. I had always wondered how he had managed to switch the blaster without Jack noticing.

The Doctor smirked at me. "A magician never reveals his secrets," he replied.

I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you're a magician now, are you?"

"There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villengard and you did that?" Jack asked the Doctor.

"Bananas are good," the Doctor replied simply. Suddenly, the child hit the other side of the wall, cracking it.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled.

"Come on!" The Doctor yelled. We ran down one hallway only to stop short as the patients appeared around the corner. We turned around and bolted back the other way. Another group of patients appeared and herded us back to the wall the child was trying to break through.

"Mummy. Mummy. Mummy," they repeated.

"It's keeping us here till it can get at us," the Doctor explained as the child continued to try to break through the wall.

"It's controlling them?" Jack asked incredulously.

"It is them. It's every living thing in this hospital," the Doctor corrected.

"Okay," Jack said. "This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and as a triple-enfolded sonic disrupter. Doc, what you got?"

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "I've got a sonic," the Doctor paused and looked at his device. "...er. Oh, never mind."

"What?" Jack asked, aiming his blaster at one zombie group then the other.

"It's sonic, okay?" The Doctor said. "Let's leave it at that." The patients continued to advance and the child hammered on the wall again, cracking it further.

"Disrupter? Cannon? What?" Jack pressed.

"It's sonic! Totally sonic! I am soniced up!" The Doctor insisted.

"A sonic what?!" Jack yelled.

"Screwdriver!" The Doctor yelled back, holding up said item for Jack to see. The child finally managed to break through the wall and we spin to face him.

I quickly grabbed Jack's blaster and pointed it at the floor. "Going down!" I yelled in warning before dissolving the floor. We all cried out in shock as we dropped through the hole I had made. We landed with a thud and Jack quickly grabbed his blaster back and repaired the hole. I groaned in pain as I shoved the Doctor's legs off my stomach and sat up.

"Everyone okay?" I asked rubbing the back of my head.

"Could've used a warning," the Doctor complained as he helped me up.

"A simple thank you would suffice," I retorted.

"Who has a sonic screwdriver?" Jack asked the Doctor.

"I do," the Doctor replied irritably.

"Lights," Rose muttered as she glanced around the dark room.

"Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, ooo, this could be a little more sonic?" Jack mocked.

"Boys," I warned, not in the mood for them to start an argument.

"What, you've never been bored?" The Doctor inquired.

"There's got to be a light switch," Rose mumbled, running around the room.

"Never had a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?" The Doctor continued. The lights came on as Rose finally located the switch, illuminating another room full of gas mask zombies. The patients sat up.

"Mummy. Mummy," they said.

"Door," Jack said, running over to the door. He tried his blaster on the door, but the blaster just sputtered. "Dang it!" Jack yelled in frustration, smacking his blaster with his hand.

"Mummy," the patients repeated, getting out of bed.

"It's the special features. They really drain the battery," Jack explained irritably.

"The battery?" Rose exclaimed. The Doctor quickly pulled out his sonic and opened the door. "That's so lame!" We ran through the door and down another hallway.

"I was going to send for another one, but somebody's got to blow up the factory," Jack said loudly, making sure the Doctor could here him.

"Oh, I know," Rose replied. "First day I met him, he blew my job up. That's practically how he communicates."

"Okay, that door should hold it for a bit," the Doctor said, sonicing the door to the room we had just entered.

"The door? The wall didn't stop it!" Jack pointed out.

"Well, it's got to find us first! Come on, we're not done yet! Assets, assets!" The Doctor said, hurriedly glancing around the room.

"Well, I've got a banana, and in a pinch you could put up some shelves," Jack replied sarcastically.

The Doctor spotted a small window with bars. "Window," he said, running over to it and hoisting himself up onto the table by the wall to look out.

"Barred. Sheer drop outside. Seven stories," Jack said, having checked when we entered the room.

"And no other exits," I noticed.

"Well, the assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?" Jack said bitterly from his place in a wheelchair.

The Doctor turned to me. "So, where'd you pick this one up, then?" He gestured to Jack.

"Doctor," I said in exasperation.

"They were hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship. I never stood a chance," Jack replied humorously.

"Okay," the Doctor said, glancing around the room again. "One, we've got to get out of here. Two, we can't get out of here. Have I missed anything?"

"Yeah. Jack just disappeared," Rose pointed out. The Doctor and I looked around to see that Jack had indeed gone. The Doctor and I sat down on a bench that was sitting on one wall.

"Okay, so he's vanished into thin air. Why is it always the great looking ones who do that?" Rose complained.

"I'm making an effort not to be insulted," the Doctor said flatly. I giggled, but covered my mouth when the Doctor sent a glare my way.

"I mean, men," Rose corrected.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Okay, thanks, that really helped," he replied sarcastically.

"You're a male Time Lord, Doctor, not a human man," I giggled, nudging him my shoulder. He looked at me. The radio sitting on a shelf then crackled to life.

" **Rose? Elena? Doctor?** " Jack asked. The Doctor jumped up and ran over to the radio. He flipped it right side up. " **Can you hear me? I'm back on my ship. Used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you,** " he apologized. The Doctor held up a frayed wire that was attached to the radio. He raised his eyebrows at Rose and I, us all wondering the same thing. How was Jack talking through the radio if the radio had no power? " **It's security-keyed to my molecular structure. I'm working on it. Hang in there.** "

"How're you speaking to us?" The Doctor asked, confusedly.

" **Om-Com. I can call anything with a speaker grill,** " Jack explained.

"Now there's a coincidence," the Doctor said.

Now it was Jack's turned to be confused. " **What is?** "

"The child can Om-Com, too," the Doctor informed us.

"He can?" Rose asked.

The Doctor nodded. "Anything with a speaker grill. Even the Tardis phone."

"What, you mean the child can phone us?" Rose questioned in confusion.

" **And I can hear you. Coming to find you. Coming to find you,** " the child said, talking through the radio.

" **Doctor, can you hear that?** " Jack inquired.

"Loud and clear," the Doctor replied.

" **I'll try to block out the signal. Least I can do,** " Jack said.

" **Coming to find you, mummy,** " The child said.

" **Remember this one, Rose?** " Jack asked, turning on the song he had played when he and Rose danced.

"Our song," Rose said, softly, smiling at the memory and blushing slightly. The Doctor stood up and jumped on the table so he could reach the window. He took out his sonic screwdriver and started sonicing the cement under the window bars. Rose plopped herself down in a wheelchair. After a few moments of listening to the sonic, I decided to break the silence.

"What you doing?" I asked the Doctor.

"Trying to set up a resonation pattern in the concrete, loosen the bars," he explained.

"You don't think he's coming back, do you?" I inquired.

"Wouldn't bet my life," he replied without looking up from his task.

"Why don't you trust him?" I questioned, leaning against the wall behind me and crossing my arms.

"Why do you?" The Doctor retorted.

"He saved mine and Rose's lives," I answered.

"Bloke-wise, that's up there with flossing," Rose said. I smiled and shook my head.

"I trust him because I've met him before. I know what he's like. Plus he's like you," I explained. "Except with dating and dancing." The Doctor glanced back at me with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

He went back to his task. "You just assume I'm..." He hesitated.

"What?" I pressed, raising my eyebrow.

"You just assume that I don't dance," he replied.

"What, are you telling me you do dance?" I asked.

"Nine hundred years old, me. I've been around a bit. I think you can assume at some point I've danced," the Doctor retorted.

"You?" I inquired, raising the other eyebrow.

"Problem?" The Doctor asked, turning back around.

"You? Mr. Brooding, dance?" I teased.

"Well, I've got the moves but I wouldn't want to boast," the Doctor replied, returning to resonating the bars. I stood up and turned up the volume on the radio.

I held out my hand to the Doctor as he stared at me. "You've got the moves? Show me your moves."

"Elena, I'm trying to resonate concrete," the Doctor protested, gesturing to the wall behind him.

"Jack'll be back. He'll get us out. So come on," I insisted. "The world doesn't end because the Doctor dances." I ignored Rose's quiet giggling in the background. The Doctor slowly stepped down from the table and walked towards me.

He took my hands and examined them. "Barrage balloon?" He asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"What?" I asked, tilting my held slightly.

"You and Rose were hanging from a barrage balloon," the Doctor recalled.

"Oh, yeah," I confirmed. "About two minutes after you left us. Thousands of feet above London, middle of a German air-raid, and the TARDIS had to make me wear my Captain America shirt," I huffed.

The Doctor continued to scrutinize my hands. "I've traveled with a lot of people, but you're setting new records for jeopardy friendly."

I ignored him. "If this is how you dance I have a few tips for you," I said.

"Hanging from a rope thousands feet above London. Not a cut, not a bruise," the Doctor noticed.

I shrugged. "Yeah, I know. Captain Jack fixed us up."

The Doctor glanced up at me with raised eyebrows. "Oh, we're calling him Captain Jack now, are we?"

I shrugged again. "Well, his name's Jack and he's a Captain," I answered. "His last name should have been Sparrow."

"He's not really a Captain, Elena."

I smirked at him. "Getting a bit jealous, are we?" I nodded to his feet. "You'll find your feet at the end of your legs. You may care to move them."

The Doctor started to shuffle his feet. "If ever he was a Captain, he's been defrocked."

"Yeah? Shame I missed that," I giggled.

"Actually, I quit. Nobody takes my frock," Jack interrupted, causing the Doctor and I to turn around in surprise. Jack was sitting in his chair and Rose on his bunk. "Most people notice when they've been teleported. You guys are so sweet. Sorry about the delay. I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols? Maybe you should remember whose ship it is."

"Oh, I do," Jack replied with a grin. "She was gorgeous. Like I told her, be back in five minutes."

"This is a Chula ship," the Doctor noted, glancing around the ships cramped interior.

"Yeah," Jack confirmed, "just like that medical transporter. Only this one is dangerous." The Doctor snapped his fingers and a golden cloud enveloped his hands.

"They're what fixed my hands up," I told him. "Nanogenes I believe is what Jack called them."

"Sub-atomic robots," the Doctor explained. "There's millions of them in here, see? Burned my hand on the console when we landed. All better now." The nanogenes disappeared. "They activate when the bulk head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws. Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space junk," he told Jack.

"As soon as I get the nav-com back online. Make yourself comfortable. Carry on with whatever it was you were doing," Jack replied, waving his hand in the Doctor and I's direction.

"We were talking about dancing," the Doctor explained.

"It didn't look like talking," Jack said.

"It didn't feel like dancing," I mumbled.

"So, you used to be a Time Agent now you're trying to con them?" Rose asked Jack.

"If it makes me sound any better, it's not for the money," Jack said.

"For what?" Rose asked curiously.

"Woke up one day when I was still working for them, found they'd stolen two years of my memories. I'd like them back," Jack replied darkly.

"They stole your memories?" Rose asked, shocked. I glanced at Jack sadly.

"Two years of my life," Jack explained. "No idea what I did. Your friend over there doesn't trust me," he gestured to the Doctor, "and for all I know he's right not to. Okay, we're good to go. Crash site?" He asked, turning to the Doctor.

We landed and climbed out of Jack's ship. We walked to the crash site. A fence surrounded the perimeter of the site and guards patrolled the area. We stood behind a stack of bins and surveyed the area.

"There it is," Jack said, nodding to the site. He then noticed a particular guard. "Hey, they've got Algy on duty. It must be important."

"We've got to get past him," the Doctor said.

"Are the words distract the guard heading in my general direction?" Rose inquired with a smile.

"I don't think that'd be such a good idea," Jack told her.

"Don't worry I can handle it," Rose insisted.

"I've got to know Algy quite well since I've been in town," Jack explained. "Trust me, you're not his type. I'll distract him. Don't wait up." He jogged down to meet Algy.

"Relax," the Doctor assured Rose, "he's a fifty first century guy. He's just a bit more flexible when it comes to dancing."

"How flexible?" Rose asked apprehensively.

"Well, by his time, you lot have spread out across half the galaxy," he explained.

"Meaning?" Rose inquired.

The Doctor grinned. "So many species, so little time."

"What, that's what we do when we get out there? That's our mission? We seek new life, and, and..." Rose struggled to find the right word.

"Dance," the Doctor and I replied, grinning. We watched as Jack jogged over to Algy.

"Hey, tiger. How's it hanging? " Jack called to Algy. The guard turned around.

"Mummy?" Algy asked, looking at Jack confusedly.

"Algy, old sport, it's me," Jack said.

"Mummy?" Algy repeated. I furrowed my eyebrows and tilted my head.

"Wait a minute," I mumbled, mentally going through the events of this episode. The Doctor glanced at me.

"What is it?" He asked me.

"It's me, Jack," Jack insisted.

"Jack?" Algy tilted his head. "Are you my mummy?" Algy started to retch and collapsed to his knees. He continued to choke as his face turned into a gas mask. I took off towards Jack.

"Elena!" The Doctor called as he and Rose followed me.

"Jack! Get back!" I yelled as I ran.

"You men, stay away!" Jack ordered the soldiers who had come over to see what was going on. We stood over Algy, who had completely transformed into a gas mask zombie.

"The effect's become air-borne, accelerating," the Doctor informed us. A siren signaling the start of another air raid rang through the air.

"What's keeping us safe?" Rose asked in concern.

"Nothing," I replied solemnly. Explosions went off as bombs started dropping.

"Ah, here they come again," Jack said, looking at the sky.

"All we need," Rose muttered. "Didn't you say a bomb was going to land here?" She asked Jack.

"Never mind about that," the Doctor dismissed. "If the contaminants airborne now, there's hours left."

"For what?" Jack asked in confusion.

"Till nothing, forever. For the entire human race. And can anyone else hear singing?" The Doctor asked, interrupting himself and furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. I tilted my head slightly and sure enough I could hear singing.

"Nancy," I said quietly. The Doctor walked off towards the singing. The Doctor and I walked up to one of the tents that were set up around the site.

"When the wind blows, the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. Down will come baby, cradle and all," Nancy sang quietly as the Doctor and I poked our heads in. Nancy paused and looked around. In front of her was another gas mask zombie soldier laying fast asleep on the table. I gestured for her to keep singing. "Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree tops. When the wind blows the cradle will rock," Nancy continued as the Doctor walked over and soniced her handcuffs. We hurried out and went to go find Rose and Jack.

We stood in front of the object that the Doctor, Rose, and I had been chasing. The object was about the size of the bombs that were currently being dropped on London. It sat in a crater it had created when it hit the ground.

"You see?" Jack said, gesturing to the object. "Just an ambulance."

Nancy started at the partially buried object. "That's an ambulance?" She asked in disbelief.

"It's hard to explain. It's from another world," Rose said.

"They've been trying to get in," Jack stated, noticing a multitude of scratches on the ambulances metal surface.

"Of course they have. They think they've got their hands on Hitler's latest secret weapon," the Doctor stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. He then looked over to Jack who was busy entering the key code into a panel on the side of the ambulance. "What're you doing?"

"The sooner you see this thing is empty, the sooner you'll know I had nothing to do with it," Jack replied. My eyes widened as I remembered that the key code wasn't going to work this time.

"Wait, Jack!" I tired, but it was too late. There was a loud bang and Jack flinched back as sparks flew in his face. An alarm started blasting from the ambulance.

"Didn't happen last time," Jack said, eyeing the flashing red light on the panel.

"It hadn't crashed last time!" I told him angrily.

"She's right," the Doctor agreed. "There'll be emergency protocols."

"Doctor, what is that?" Rose asked nervously. The Doctor didn't answer. "Doctor!"

The Doctor turned to Jack. "Captain, secure those gates!"

"Why?" Jack inquired.

"Just do it!" The Doctor yelled. Jack ran off.

"Nancy, you cut the wire to get in right?" I asked her.

"Yeah," she replied, looking a bit confused as to how I knew that.

"Show Rose," the Doctor said, pulling out his sonic screwdriver. "Setting two thousand four hundred and twenty eight D." He tossed Rose the sonic.

"What?" Rose asked in confusion as she caught the sonic.

"Reattaches barbed wire," I explained quickly.

"Go!" The Doctor told her. Rose and Nancy took off.

Jack came running back after closing the gates. "Now let's see if we can get this open," he said, rubbing his hands together as he approached the ambulance.

Jack finally managed to get it open, just as Rose and Nancy returned. Rose handed the Doctor back his sonic. "It's empty. Look at it," Jack insisted, gesturing at the empty interior.

"What do you expect in a Chula medical transporter?" The Doctor asked. "Bandages? Cough drops? Elena? Rose?"

Rose shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know."

"Nanogenes," I answered. "Enough to rebuild a species."

Jack looked horrified. "Oh, gosh," he gasped, finally realizing what he had done.

"Getting it now, are we?" The Doctor asked irritably. "When the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find first is a dead child, probably killed earlier that night, and wearing a gas mask."

"And they brought him back to life? They can do that?" Rose asked incredulously.

"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh. Nothing to a nanogene," the Doctor replied. "One problem, though. These nanogenes, they're not like the ones on your ship. This lot have never seen a human being before. Don't know what a human being's supposed to look like. All they've got to go on is one little body, and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on. They do what they're programmed to do. They patch it up. Can't tell what's gas mask and what's skull, but they do their best. Then off they fly, off they go, work to be done. Because, you see, now they think they know what people should look like, and it's time to fix all the rest. And they won't ever stop. They won't ever, ever stop. The entire human race is going to be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified child looking for its mother, and nothing in the world can stop it!" the Doctor yelled angrily at Jack.

"I didn't know," Jack protested, attempting to defend himself. The Doctor started working on the ambulance as it continued to sound the alarm. I stood next to him as he messed with the wires. I glanced up and spotted a group of gas mask zombies headed our way.

"Mummy. Mummy," they repeated over and over.

"Rose!" Nancy called, having spotted the patients too. Rose ran over to her.

"It's bringing the gas mask people here, isn't it?" Rose asked the Doctor as she ran back over to us.

The Doctor glanced up from his work, but didn't stop. "The ship thinks it's under attack. It's calling up the troops. Standard protocol," he explained.

"But the gas mask people aren't troops," Rose pointed out.

"They are now," I told her, still staring at the approaching zombie group.

"This is a battle-field ambulance," the Doctor explained further. "The nanogenes don't just fix you up, they get you ready for the front line. Equip you, program you."

"That's why the child's so strong," Rose realized. "Why it could do that phoning thing."

The Doctor nodded. "It's a fully equipped Chula warrior, yes. All that weapons tech in the hands of a hysterical four year old looking for his mummy. And now there's an army of them." The patients surrounded us, but didn't cross the barbed wire fence. I glanced around at them, nervously picking at my nails.

"Why don't they attack?" Jack wondered aloud.

"Good little soldiers, waiting for their commander," the Doctor explained.

Jack glanced back at the Doctor with a look of confusion. "The child?"

"Jamie," Nancy said softly.

"What?" Jack asked, turning to look at her.

"Not the child. Jamie," Nancy repeated a bit louder. The Doctor stared at Nancy.

"So how long until the bomb falls?" Rose asked Jack.

"Any second," Jack replied.

"What's the matter, Captain?" The Doctor mocked, walking towards Nancy. "A bit close to the volcano for you?"

"He's just a little boy," Nancy said, sadly.

"I know," the Doctor said softly.

"He's just a little boy who wants his mummy," Nancy insisted, her voice cracking.

"I know," the Doctor repeated, stopping in front of Nancy. "There isn't a little boy born who wouldn't tear the world apart to save his mummy. And this little boy can." He stared at the patients standing outside the fence.

"So what're we going to do?" Rose asked worriedly.

"I don't know," the Doctor replied.

Nancy closed her eyes as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "It's my fault."

The Doctor shook his head. "No," he told her gently.

"It is. It's all my fault," Nancy insisted. I watched her sadly.

"How can it be your-" The Doctor stopped mid sentence as the patients suddenly started speaking again.

"Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy," the patients continued to repeat. We all glanced around from patient to patient. The Doctor turned to look at Nancy as something seemed to click. He glanced at me for confirmation. I nodded, knowing what he was thinking. He went to open his mouth, but I held up a hand. He looked at me questioningly and I shook my head.

I approached Nancy. "Nancy, how old are you?" I asked gently. She didn't answer as she continued to cry silently. "Twenty? Twenty one? Older than you look, yes?" The bombs continued to go off and sounded like they were getting closer.

"Doctor, that bomb. We've got seconds," Jack urged.

"You can teleport us out," Rose said.

Jack shook his head. "Not you guys. The nav-com's back online. Going to take too long to override the protocols."

"So it's volcano day," the Doctor said, still looking at Nancy. "Do what you've got to do."

"Jack?" Rose asked, staring at the former Time Agent pleadingly. Jack gave her an apologetic look before pulling out his remote and vanishing.

"How old were you five years ago? Fifteen? Sixteen?" The Doctor asked Nancy. "Old enough to give birth, anyway." Nancy glanced at the Doctor, hers eyes full of tears.

"He's not your brother, is he?" I asked gently. Nancy shook her head.

"A teenage single mother in 1941," the Doctor said. "So you hid. You lied." Nancy nodded, sniffing. "You even lied to him." We jumped as the gate burst open, revealing the patients with the child, Jamie at the front.

"Are you my mummy?" Jamie asked.

"He's going to keep asking, Nancy. He's never going to stop," the Doctor told her.

"Mummy?" Jamie repeated, as if to prove the Doctor's point.

I placed a hand on Nancy's shoulder. "Tell him," I told her softly. She glanced at Jamie.

"Nancy, the future of the human race is in your hands. Trust me and tell him," the Doctor urged. Nancy slowed walked towards Jamie.

"Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy?" Jamie repeated, walking towards Nancy.

"Yes," Nancy affirmed, her voice cracking. "Yes, I am your mummy."

"Mummy?" Jamie repeated.

"I'm here."

"Are you my mummy?"

"I'm here." Nancy kneeled in front on Jamie.

"Are you my mummy?"

"Yes."

"Are you my mummy?"

The Doctor and I watched Nancy try to convince Jamie. "He doesn't understand. There's not enough of him left," the Doctor said sadly.

"I am your mummy. I will always be your mummy," Nancy said. "I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry." Nancy hugged Jamie, stroking his head. A cloud of nanogenes surrounded them.

"What's happening?" Rose asked in concern. "Doctor, it's changing her, we should-"

"Shush!" The Doctor interrupted, staring at the nanogenes cloud. "Come on, please," he pleaded. "Come on, you clever little nanogenes. Figure it out! The mother, she's the mother. It's got to be enough information. Figure it out."

"What's happening?" Rose inquired.

"See?" The Doctor said excitedly, pointing to the nanogene cloud. "Recognizing the same DNA." Jamie let go of Nancy and Nancy fell to the ground. The Doctor, Rose, and I ran over to Nancy and Jamie.

"Oh, come on," the Doctor pleaded. "Give me a day like this. Give me this one." The Doctor bent down and removed Jamie's gas mask. Jamie looks up at the Doctor, his hair messed up from the gas mask. "Ha-ha! Welcome back!" The Doctor cried gleefully, picking Jamie up. I grinned and jumped up and down in excitement. "Twenty years till pop music - you're going to love it," he told Jamie.

"What happened?" Nancy asked in confusion. I held out a hand to her. She took it gratefully.

"The nanogenes recognized the superior information, the parent DNA," the Doctor explained. "They didn't change you because you changed them! Ha-ha! Mother knows best!" The Doctor exclaimed happily.

"Oh, Jamie," Nancy said softly, hugging her son again.

"Doctor, that bomb," Rose said worriedly.

"Taken care of it," the Doctor replied, grinning at Nancy and her son.

"How?" Rose asked in confusion.

"Psychology," I told her, smiling softly at Nancy and Jamie. We looked up and saw the bomb hurtling towards us. Suddenly, a spaceship came zooming down and caught the bomb in a blue beam. Jack appeared astride the bomb.

"Doctor!" Jack called.

"Good lad!" The Doctor complimented.

"The bomb's already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis but it won't last long," Jack explained.

"Change of plan," the Doctor said. "Don't need the bomb. Can you get rid of it, safely as you can?"

Jack nodded. "Rose? Els?"

"Yeah?" Rose asked, smiling. I raised my eyebrows, silently telling him to continue. I didn't notice the Doctor glance at me when Jack called be Els.

"Goodbye," Jack said. He and the bomb vanished. Jack reappeared. "By the way, love the tee-shirts." Rose smiled and adjusted her shirt while I simply grinned. Jack disappeared again and the spaceship flew off. The Doctor started down at his hands. He grinned as he summoned some nanogenes.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked him.

"Software patch," the Doctor explained, not taking his eyes off the nanogenes. "Going to email the upgrade. You want moves, Elena? I'll give you moves." He grinned as he threw his hands outward. The nanogenes flew to the patients waiting patiently by the gate. They all fell to the ground. "Everybody lives, Elena. Just this once, everybody lives!" The Doctor exclaimed, throwing his arms out excitedly. I grinned and ran into his open arms. We laughed as he spun me around, hugging me tightly. He set me down and and jogged over to Dr. Constantine, who was getting to his feet.

I turned to Jamie knelt in front of him. "I got something for you," I told him. I reach into my jacket pocket and pulled out the teddy bear I had taken from the hospital. "I think this belongs to you." I held out the bear for him. Jamie reached out and took the teddy bear. He smiled and hugged me. I giggled and hugged him back. "Take care of your mother okay?" Jamie nodded as he hugged the bear to his chest. I stood up and ruffled Jamie's hair.

The Doctor came jogging back after his talk with Dr. Constantine and climbed on top of the ambulance. "Right, you lot," the Doctor called to the patients. "Lots to do. Beat the Germans, save the world. Don't forget the welfare state!" Dr. Constantine smiled and started urging people to leave. The Doctor started pressing buttons on the ambulance "Setting this to self-destruct, soon as everybody's clear," he explained. "History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?"

"Usually the first in line," I giggled. He grinned at me.

The Doctor, Rose, and I made it back to the TARDIS. "The nanogenes will clean up the mess and switch themselves off, because I just told them to. Nancy and Jamie will go to Doctor Constantine for help, ditto. All in all, all things considered, fantastic!" He ran around the console grinning.

"Look at you, beaming away like you're Father Christmas," Rose laughed.

"Who says I'm not, red bicycle when you were twelve?" The Doctor replied.

Rose stared at the Doctor. "What?"

"And everybody lives, Elena!" The Doctor he told me happily. "Everybody lives! I need more days like this."

"You certainly do," I replied, giggling at his enthusiasm.

"Doctor," Rose said.

"Go on, ask me anything. I'm on fire," the Doctor said excitedly, not having heard Rose.

"What about Jack?" Rose asked. The Doctor stopped running around the console and glanced at Rose sadly. "Why'd he say goodbye?" The Doctor didn't answer.

I looked at the Doctor. "We can't leave him, Doctor. I think we owe him."

"How do we owe him?" The Doctor asked me.

"He did save Rose and I's lives," I reminded him. He stared at me for a moment before putting in coordinates and pulling a lever, sending us into the Time Vortex. The Doctor flicked another switch and the Moonlight Serenade to play.

The Doctor walked up to me. "May I have this dance?" He asked, holding out his hand.

I grinned and took his hand. "You may." The next few minutes were spent trying to teach the Doctor how to dance, which was somewhat difficult as I didn't really know how. We danced by the open TARDIS doors, which the Doctor had opened right after we landed. The TARDIS was parked inside Jack's spaceship.

"Well, hurry up then!" I called to Jack when he finally noticed we were there. Jack came running in and looked around the TARDIS console room in awe. "Okay. And right and turn," I told the Doctor as I attempted to teach him to dance. He spun me around, but somehow managed to twist my arm behind my back. "Okay, let's try that again and try not to get my arm up my back. No extra points for a half-nelson," I teased.

"I'm sure I used to know this stuff," the Doctor insisted. He turned to Jack who was still glancing around the room. "Close the door, will you? Your ship's about to blow up. There's going to be a draught." Jack shut the door and the Doctor started the TARDIS engine.

"Welcome to the Tardis," I greeted, spreading my arms.

"Much bigger on the inside," Jack noted.

"You'd better be," the Doctor replied sternly.

I rolled my eyes. "I think what the Doctor's trying to say is you may cut in," I said, walking up to Jack.

"Elena!" The Doctor called. "I've just remembered!"

"What?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. The music changed to something more upbeat.

The Doctor started snapping his fingers o the beat of the song. "I can dance! I can dance!" He grinned as he started dancing.

"Actually, Doctor, I thought Jack might like this dance," I told him.

"I'm sure he would, Elena," the Doctor replied. "I'm absolutely certain. But who with?" He held out his hand to me. I stared at him for a moment then turned to Jack.

"Sorry, Jack, looks like I'm taken." I smiled apologetically. "But I believe there is a blonde over there who doesn't have a dance partner," I said, gesturing to Rose, who was standing by one of the coral pillars. Rose grinned at Jack. I took the Doctor's hand and together we danced around the console. I grinned at the Doctor as we danced and he returned the grin. He spun me around without pinning my arm behind my back and dipped me. I laughed gleefully. The Doctor pulled me back up. We started at each other, both of us with and identical grin on our faces. I felt my heart flutter as I stared into his piercing blue eyes. I jumped slightly when I heard clapping. I turned my head to see Rose and Jack standing off to the side, clapping and grinning. The Doctor let go of me and I pouted internally, missing the feel of his arms around me. He bowed to Jack and Rose and I smiled softly.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Please review and let me know what you think so far. Happy New Years everyone!**


	11. Boom Town

**Hello readers! Sorry I didn't update sooner. Just got back from vacation and was busy helping clean the house. I should be back to updating every three days now. Hopefully it will stay that way once this next semester gets started. Anyway here is the next chapter.**

* * *

We landed in Cardiff after the Doctor had decided we needed to stop off to refuel the TARDIS. I had changed into a coral colored sweater and a military green, three-quarter sleeved jacket. Rose had phoned Mickey and asked him to bring her passport despite the Doctor insisting that she didn't need it. Jack and I sat in the captain's chair swapping stories of our travels. The Doctor was standing on a ladder, messing with some of the various wires hanging around the TARDIS console room, an empty cup that had held the banana smoothie I had made him sitting next to him. Rose leaned against the console listening to Jack and I. There was a knock on the TARDIS doors and Jack jumped down and went to go answer the door. He opened the door and poked his head out.

"Who the heck are you?" He asked whoever was at the door rudely.

"What do you mean, who the heck am I? Who the heck are you?" I heard Mickey retort.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack replied. "Whatever your selling, we're not buying." He tried to shut the door, but Mickey stopped him.

"Get out of my way!" Mickey ordered, forcing his way past Jack.

"Don't tell me," Jack said, shutting the TARDIS door. I jumped down from my spot on the captain's chair. "This must be Mickey."

"Here comes trouble! How're you doing, Ricky boy?" The Doctor greeted from his perch on the ladder.

"Doctor," I said, glancing up at the Time Lord as I walked past, "leave Mickey alone before I topple you off that ladder." He went back to messing with the wires.

"It's Mickey!" Mickey retorted in annoyance.

"Don't listen to him, he's winding you up," Rose said, walking up to Mickey.

"She's right. Just ignore him," I told Mickey. "How are you doing Mickey?" I held out my fist.

"Not bad," he replied with a smile as he fist bumped me. "You look fantastic," Mickey complimented Rose. They hugged.

"Aw, sweet, look at these two. How come I never get any of that?" Jack asked the Doctor.

"Buy me a drink first," the Doctor replied.

"You're such hard work," Jack complained.

"But worth it," the Doctor grinned cheekily.

' _You certainly are_ ,' I thought with a small smile.

"Did you manage to find it?" Rose asked Mickey.

Mickey pulled something out of his pocket. "There you go," he said as he handed Rose her passport.

"I can go anywhere now," Rose told the Doctor excitedly, waving the passport.

"I told you, you don't need a passport," the Doctor reminded her.

"It's all very well going to Platform One and Justicia and the Glass Pyramid of San Kaloon, but what if we end up in Brazil? I might need it. You see," Rose said, waving the passport again, "I'm prepared for anything."

"Sounds like your staying, then," Mickey said sadly. Rose's smile faltered. "So, what're you doing in Cardiff?" Mickey asked, changing the subject. "And who the heck's Jumping Jack Flash?" He gestured to Jack. "I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears up there..."

"Oi!" The Doctor protested.

"Look in the mirror," Mickey retorted. "But this guy, I don't know, he's kind of..." Mickey paused, searching for the right word.

"Handsome?" Jack suggested hopefully.

"More like cheesy," Mickey corrected.

Jack frowned thoughtfully. "Early twenty first Century slang. Is cheesy good or bad?"

"It's bad," Mickey said.

"But bad means good, isn't that right?" Jack asked with a grin.

"No, it doesn't, Jack," I told him, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Are you saying I'm not handsome?" The Doctor asked, slightly insulted. He climbed down the ladder.

"You're plenty handsome, sweetheart," I assured him, pulling lightly on one of his ears. The Doctor gently smacked my hand away and I chuckled.

"We just stopped off," Rose explained to Mickey. "We need to refuel. The thing is, Cardiff's got this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions."

"The rift was healed back in 1869," the Doctor butted in.

"Thanks to a girl named Gwyneth, because these creatures called the Gelth, they were using the rift as a gateway but she saved the world and closed it," I added.

"But closing a rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy, harmless to the human race," Jack chimed in.

"But perfect for the TARDIS, so just park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and," the Doctor continued.

"Open up the engines, soak up the radiation," Jack said.

"Like filling her up with petrol and off we go!" Rose said excitedly.

"Into time!" Jack and I said together, giving each other high fives.

"And space!" All four of us finished enthusiastically, high fiving each other.

Mickey stared at us. "My gosh, have you seen yourselves? You all think you're so clever, don't you?" He mocked.

"Yeah," the Doctor grinned.

"Yeah," Rose smiled.

"Course," I replied.

"Yep!" Jack said, smacking Mickey's cheek. Mickey flinched back and glared at Jack.

"You could have just told Mickey you wanted to see him, you know," I whispered to Rose as we exited the simply shrugged.

"Should take another twenty four hours, which means we've got time to kill," the Doctor reported.

"That old lady's staring," Mickey said, glancing around.

"Probably wondering what five people could do inside a small wooden box," Jack laughed.

"What are you captain of, the Innuendo Squad?" Mickey mocked. Jack made a 'whatever' sign with his fingers and started walking off.

"You have no idea, Mickey," I chuckled, placing my hands on my hips.

"I thought you were on my side," Jack pouted at me.

"What gave you that impression?" I asked, smirking at him. He merely stuck his tongue out at me childishly.

"Wait, the TARDIS, we can't just leave it. Doesn't it get noticed?" Mickey asked in concern.

"Yeah," Jack agreed, "what's with the police box? Why does it look like that?"

"It's a cloaking device," I informed them.

"It's called a chameleon circuit. The TARDIS is meant to disguise itself wherever it lands, like if this was Ancient Rome, it'd be a statue on a plinth or something," the Doctor explained.

"However, the circuit broke after he landed in the 1960s and she disguised herself as a police box," I finished, patting the blue box affectionately.

"So it copied a real thing? There actually was police boxes? " Mickey asked.

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah, on street corners. Phone for help before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested someone, they could shove them inside till help came, like a little prison cell," the Doctor informed him.

"Why don't you just fix the circuit?" Jack asked.

"I like it, don't you?" The Doctor replied.

"I love it," Rose said, fondly stroking the box.

"Makes her easier to find than if she blended in with her surroundings," I pointed out.

"But that's what I meant," Mickey said. "There's no police boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?"

"Ricky," the Doctor said, approaching Mickey and putting his hands on Mickey's shoulders, "let me tell you something about the human race. You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town, what do they do?" He paused for a second, but continued before Mickey could reply. "Walk past it. Now, stop your nagging. Let's go and explore."

I jogged to catch up with the Doctor as he walked off. "So what's the plan?" I asked, looping my arm through his.

"I don't know. Cardiff, early twenty first century and the wind's coming from the east. Trust me. Safest place in the universe," the Doctor replied.

"Hmm. I doubt that, especially not on Christmas," I replied.

The Doctor frowned. "What's wrong with Cardiff on Christmas?"

"Let's just say aliens seem to like that particular holiday," I answered.

We decided to stop at a restaurant for lunch. We sat at a table, Jack and Rose on one side, the Doctor and Mickey on the other, and me at the head in between Rose and the Doctor. We were all laughing as Jack told us about one of his adventures as a Time Agent.

"I swear, six feet tall and with big tusks," Jack told us, miming tusks.

"You're lying through your teeth!" The Doctor accused, laughing.

"I'd have gone bonkers! That's the word - bonkers!" Rose laughed.

"I mean," Jack insisted, "it turns out the white things are tusks and I mean tusks! And it's woken, and it's not happy."

"How could you not know it was there?" I asked incredulously, grinning.

"And we're standing there, fifteen of us, naked," Jack continued.

"Naked?!" Rose laughed in shock.

"And I'm like, oh, no, no, it's got nothing to do with me." Jack held up his hands and shifted from side to side in his seat. "And then it roars, and we are running. Oh my gosh, we are running!" Jack animated enthusiastically. "And Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say-"

"I knew we should've turned left!" Mickey interrupted.

"That's my line!" Jack complained. We all burst out laughing. The Doctor stopped laughing when he spotted something over my shoulder. He stood up.

"What's wrong?" I asked in concern, turning in my chair to watch him.

"I don't believe you," Rose smacked Jack lightly on the arm, still laughing. "I don't believe a word you say ever. That is so brilliant. Did you ever get your clothes back?" The Doctor snatched a newspaper from an man at the table behind me and read the front page.

"No, I just picked him up went right for the ship, full throttle," Jack answered Rose, not paying attention to the Doctor. "Didn't stop until I hit the spacelanes. I was shaking. It was unbelievable. It freaked me out, and by the time I got fifteen light years away I realized I'm like this." He gestured to himself.

The Doctor looked up from the paper, not looking very happy at all. "And I was having such a nice day," he said dejectedly. He held up the newspaper so we could see what he was talking about. On the front page was a picture of Margaret.

After briefly explaining to Jack what had happened with the Slitheen, we all left the restaurant to go confront Margaret.

"According to intelligence, the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorious, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin suit," Jack lectured as we stood in the mayor's building. "Okay, plan of attack, we assume a basic fifty seven fifty six strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floor. Doctor and Els, you go face to face." The Doctor stared at Jack as he gave orders. "That'll designate Exit One, I'll cover Exit Two. Rose, you Exit Three. Mickey Smith, you take Exit Four. Have you got that?"

"Excuse me. Who's in charge?" The Doctor asked.

"Sorry," Jack apologized. "Awaiting orders, sir."

The Doctor stared straight ahead again. "Right, here's the plan." He paused then looked back at Jack and grinned. "Like he said. Nice plan. Anything else?" I rolled my eyes.

"Present arms," Jack ordered. We each pulled out our phones.

"Ready," the Doctor said.

"Ready," I replied.

"Ready," Rose said.

"Ready," Mickey said.

"Ready. Speed dial?" Jack inquired. We each pressed the speed dial button.

"Yup," the Doctor confirmed.

"Yup," I said.

"Ready," Rose replied.

"Check," Mickey said.

"See you in hell," Jack said. We each parted to our designated exits, me following the Doctor.

The Doctor and I walked up to a young man sitting at a desk outside the mayor's office.

"Hello, I've come to see the Lord Mayor," the Doctor greeted, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Have you got an appointment?" The man asked,

"No, just an old friend passing by. Bit of a surprise. Can't wait to see her face," the Doctor chuckled.

"Well, she's just having a cup of tea," the man informed us.

"Just go in there and tell her the Doctor would like to see her," the Doctor said.

"Doctor who?" The man asked. I grinned. He said the thing!

"Just the Doctor. Tell her exactly that. The Doctor," the Doctor repeated.

"Hang on a tick." The young man got up from his desk and entered the mayor's office. The Doctor and I moved to stand just outside the door. It was quiet for a moment before we heard the sound of glass breaking as Margaret dropped her tea cup.

"I think she's excited to see us," I said sarcastically, smiling.

The man came back out again and closed the door behind him. "The Lord Mayor says thank you for popping by. She'd love to have a chat, but, er, she's up to her eyes in paperwork. Perhaps if you could make an appointment for next week?" He suggested nervously.

"She's climbing out of the window, isn't she?" The Doctor said.

"Yes, she is," the man nodded.

"Typical," I scoffed. The Doctor pushed past the young man and we bolted to the open window. We ran out onto the balcony and spotted Margaret making her way down a ladder on some scaffolding at the other end of the balcony,

"Slitheen heading north," the Doctor alerted the others.

"And watch out for the cleaning cart, Mickey," I added, remembering he ran into one in the show.

The young man came running out and tackled the Doctor. "Leave the Mayor alone!" He yelled as he wrestled with the Doctor. However, he wasn't much of a match for the Doctor and merely made the Doctor wobble slightly as he collided with him.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" I muttered in exasperation. We needed to go after Margaret and this guy was holding us up. I backed up a couple steps and took a running leap onto the guy's back. I didn't weigh much, but the guy wasn't expecting it as he was too busy wrestling the Doctor, so he and I toppled to the ground. I let out a gasp as the guy landed on top of me and knocked the air out of my lungs. I really didn't think that through. I kicked him off me and the Doctor yanked me to my feet. "Sorry," I told the young man as we passed. We reached the end of the balcony just as Margaret reached the bottom of the ladder.

"Margaret!" The Doctor called after her as she ran off towards the front of the building, her other exits blocked by Rose and Jack. The Doctor and I made our way down the scaffolding, jumping from level to level. We chased Margaret around a corner into an alley where we were joined my Rose and Jack.

"Who's on Exit Four?" Jack demanded as we stopped and watched Margaret run down the alley.

"That was Mickey!" Rose answered.

"Here I am," Mickey panted as he ran up to us, trailing toilet paper.

I sighed. "I told you to watch out for the cleaning cart," I told Mickey.

"Sorry," he replied.

"Mickey the idiot," the Doctor said irritably.

"Oh, be fair. she's not exactly going to outrun us, is she?" Rose scolded. Margaret then vanished as she reached the end of the alley.

"She's got a teleport!" Jack exclaimed indignantly. "That's cheating! Now we're never going to get her." The Doctor stepped forward and pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

"I think you with find, Jack, that the Doctor's very good at teleports," I informed him, smirking. The Doctor held op his sonic and pressed the button. Margaret reappeared, running toward us. She stopped, turned around, ran back the other way, and vanished again. The Doctor pressed the button on his sonic again and Margaret reappeared a bit closer. She turned around and vanished once again. The Doctor pressed the button again, and Margaret appeared again even closer. She ran up to us and stopped, hunched over and breathing heavily.

"I could do this all day," the Doctor grinned.

Margaret held up her hands in surrender. "This is persecution. Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?" She asked indignantly.

"You tried to kill me and destroy this entire planet," the Doctor replied flatly.

"Apart from that," she said.

"Well, you did give me a rather nasty gash," I supplied, crossing my arms.

"You made me loose my lunch and hit me with a chair," she retorted.

I shrugged. "Couldn't exactly let you kill an innocent man."

"Come on, back inside," the Doctor ordered. He leaned over to me. "You hit her with a chair?"

"It was the only thing I could think of to get her to drop the guy," I replied. The Doctor chuckled and herded us inside.

We all stood in Margaret's office, looking over her model for a nuclear power station.

"So, you're a Slitheen, you're on Earth, you're trapped. Your family get killed but you teleport out just in the nick of time. You have no means of escape. What do you do? You build a nuclear power station. But what for?" The Doctor mused.

"A philanthropic gesture," Margaret replied. "I've learnt the error of my ways."

"Uh huh," I said, not believing her. "And this philanthropic gesture just so happens to be right on top of the rift."

"What rift would that be?" Margaret asked innocently.

"A rift in space and time," Jack answered. "If this power station went into meltdown, the entire planet would go 'sh boom'!" He made a noise and demonstrated with his hands the power station collapsing and exploding.

"This station is designed to explode the minute it reaches capacity," the Doctor continued.

"Didn't anyone notice?" Rose inquired. "Isn't there someone in London checking this sort of stuff?"

"We're in Cardiff. London doesn't care. The South Wales coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice," Margaret scoffed. She paused. "Oh. I sound like a Welshman. Goodness me, I've gone native."

"But why would she do that?" Mickey asked in disbelief. "A great big explosion, she'd only end up killing herself."

"She's got a name, you know," Margaret snapped angrily.

"She's not even a she, she's a thing," Mickey retorted back.

"Mickey," I scolded, "she may be an alien, but that doesn't make her a thing."

"Oh, but she's clever," the Doctor grinned. He reached over and knocked the model power station towers over and grabbed the board underneath. He flipped it over, revealing electronics. "Fantastic," the Doctor said as he admired the board,

"Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?" Jack asked excitedly.

"Couldn't have put it better myself," the Doctor said.

"Only, because you didn't know what to call it," I teased, smiling at the two boys fanboying (didn't know how else to say it) over the electronic board. The Doctor glared at me as Jack took the extrapolator from him. I just grinned and chuckled.

"Oo, genius! You didn't build this?" Jack told Margaret.

"I have my hobbies. A little tinkering," Margaret replied.

Jack shook his head. "No, no, no. I mean, you really didn't build this. Way beyond you," he said.

"I bet she stole it," Mickey accused.

"It fell into my hands," Margaret said.

"Is it a weapon?" Rose asked, eyeing the extrapolator.

"It's transport," Jack explained excitedly, placing the extrapolator on the floor. "You see, if the reactor blows, the rift opens. Phenomenal cosmic disaster. But this thing shrouds you in a forcefield." Jack mimed a forcefield. "You have this energy bubble, so you're safe. Then you feed it coordinates, stand on top, and ride the concussion all the way out of the solar system."

"It's a surfboard," Mickey realized.

"A pan-dimensional surfboard, yeah," Jack corrected.

"And it would've worked. I'd have surfed away from this dead end dump and back to civilization," Margaret said irritably.

"I was hoping you were going to say 'if it weren't for you meddling kids'," I mumbled, a little disappointed that she had missed the Scooby-Do reference. I turned my head to look for the Doctor, who had left the conversation after Jack had taken the extrapolator from him. I found him standing off to the side, staring up at a sign. I walked over to him and read the sign. It read 'The Blaidd Drwg Project'. I gulped. Bad Wolf, the two words that have been following us everywhere.

"You'd blow up a whole planet just to get a lift?" Mickey asked Margaret.

"Like stepping on an anthill," Margaret answered angrily.

"How'd you think of the name?" The Doctor inquired, still staring at the sign.

"What, Blaidd Drwg? It's Welsh," Margaret replied.

"I know, but how did you think of it?"

Margaret shrugged. "I chose it at random, that's all. I don't know. It just sounded good. Does it matter?" She asked.

The Doctor and I turned around "Blaidd Drwg," the Doctor said.

"What's it mean?" Rose asked.

"Bad Wolf," the Doctor and I replied.

"But I've heard that before," Rose said. "Bad Wolf. I've heard that lots of times."

"Everywhere we go. Two words following us. Bad Wolf," the Doctor mumbled.

"How can they be following us?" Rose asked nervously.

The Doctor thought for a moment before grinning. "Nah, just a coincidence." Rose rolled her eyes, but I bit my lip nervously. For some reason, I haven't been able to remember anything to do with Bad Wolf. All I knew was that it wasn't good. "Like hearing a word on the radio then hearing it all day. Never mind. Things to do. Margaret, we're going to take you home." The Doctor strolled towards the door, me following.

"Hold on, isn't that the easy option, like letting her go?" Jack protested.

"I don't believe it!" Rose exclaimed excitedly. "We actually get to go to Raxa." She paused, unsure how to pronounce the word. The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Wait a minute! Raxacor..."

"Raxacoricofallapatorius," the Doctor and I said.

"Raxacorico," Rose started, looking at us for instruction.

"fallapatorius," the Doctor supplied.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius. That's it! I did it!" Rose exclaimed gleefully. She ran over and hugged the Doctor and I, all three of us laughing.

"I used to say that to my family just to see their reactions," I giggled. "My mom would just stare at me." We laughed again.

"They have the death penalty," Margaret interrupted, sobering everyone up. "The family Slitheen was tried in its absence many years ago and found guilty with no chance of appeal. According to the statutes of government, the moment I return, I am to be executed. What do you make of that, Doctor? Take me home and you take me to my death."

The Doctor stared at Margaret. "Not my problem," he replied.

It was dark by the time we made it back to the TARDIS.

"This ship is impossible," Margaret gasped, taking in the size of the console room. "It's superb. How do you get the outside around the inside?"

"Like I'd give you the secret, yeah," the Doctor scoffed.

"I almost feel better about being defeated," Margaret said, running a finger over the console. "I never stood a chance. This is the technology of the gods." I eyed her wearily as she moved around the console rooming.

"Don't worship me. I'd make a very bad god. You wouldn't get a day off, for starters. Jack, how we doing, big fella?" The Doctor asked.

Jack sat on the floor of the TARDIS plugging in a variety of wires to the extrapolator he had in his lap. "This extrapolator's top of the range. Where did you get it?" He asked Margaret.

She shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Some airlock sale?" She replied sarcastically.

"Must've been a great big heist," Jack accused. "It's stacked with power."

"But we can use it for fuel?" The Doctor asked.

Jack shook his head. "It's not compatible, but it should knock off about twelve hours. We'll be ready to go by morning."

"Then we're stuck here overnight," the Doctor said.

"I'm in no hurry," Margaret replied.

"We've got a prisoner. The police box is really a police box," Rose realized.

"You're not just police, though," Margaret said, walking over to the captain's chair. "Since you're taking me to my death, that makes you my executioners. Each and every one of you."

"Well, you deserve it," Mickey retorted.

"You're very quick to say so. You're very quick to soak your hands in my blood, which makes you better than me, how, exactly?" Margaret asked Mickey. Mickey looked away. "Long night ahead Let's see who can look me in the eye." She moved her gaze around the room. No one met her gaze. However, when she got to me, I held her gaze, knowing she hadn't changed one bit. "This one's got guts," she said. I continued to glare at her. My eyes began to burn, but I ignored the urge to blink, refusing to loose the staring contest. Margaret finally blinked and looked away.

' _Elena, one. Margaret, zero,_ ' I thought to myself, smirking.

Mickey and Rose left the TARDIS. The Doctor watched them from the scanner. Margaret was now sitting on the floor facing away from us while I reclined in the captain's chair.

"So, what's on?" Jack asked. The Doctor switched off the scanner.

"Nothing, just..." The Doctor trailed off.

"I gather it's not always like this, having to wait," Margaret guessed, not turning around. "I bet you're always the first to leave, Doctor. Never mind the consequences, off you go. You butchered my family and then ran for the stars, am I right? But not this time. At last you have consequences. How does it feel?"

"He didn't butcher them," I growled at her. "He gave you and your family fair warning."

"Don't answer back. That's what she wants," Jack scolded.

The Doctor glanced at me. "What about you?" He asked, turning to Margaret. "You had an emergency teleport. You didn't zap them to safety, did you?"

"It only carries one. I had to fly without coordinates. I ended up on a skip in the Isle of Dogs," Margaret said, not looking around. The Doctor and Jack snickered quietly. Margaret turned around to face them. "It wasn't funny."

"Sorry," the Doctor apologized. "It is a bit funny." He and Jack started laughing.

Margaret smiled. "Do I get a last request?" She asked, once the Doctor and Jack had stopped laughing.

"Depends what it is," the Doctor replied.

Margaret turned back around. "I grew quite fond of my little human life. All those rituals. The brushing of the teeth, and the complicated way they cook things. There's a little restaurant just round the Bay. It became quite a favorite of mine," Margaret said, smiling.

The Doctor approached her and leaned on the railing. "Is that what you want, a last meal?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"Don't I have rights?"

"Oh, like she's not going to try to escape," Jack scoffed.

"Except I can never escape the Doctor, so where's the danger?" Margaret snapped at Jack, getting to her feet. She turned her attention back to the Doctor. "I wonder if you could do it? To sit with a creature you're about to kill and take supper. How strong is your stomach?" She asked the Doctor quietly.

"Strong enough," the Doctor replied.

"I wonder," she mused. "I've seen you fight your enemies, now dine with them."

"You won't change my mind," the Doctor said.

"Prove it," Margaret challenged.

The Doctor straightened up. "There are people out there," he said, walking back to the console. "If you slip away just for one second, they'll be in danger."

"Except I've got these," Jack said, holding up two thick bangles. "You both wear one. If she moves more than ten feet away, zzzz, she gets zapped by ten thousand volts." Margaret flinched slightly.

"Margaret, would you like to come out to dinner?" The Doctor asked, walking back over to her and crossing his arms. "My treat."

"Dinner in bondage," Margaret grinned. "Works for me." Jack attached a bangle to each of their wrists. I eyed them as they walked out the TARDIS, hand in hand. I felt a burning sensation in my stomach. Jealousy. I was jealous that the Doctor was taking Margaret out to dinner and not me. But why was I jealous? I had told myself time and time again that the Doctor and I were just friends. Despite this, I often caught myself glaring at women whenever they flirted with the Doctor.

"You like him." I jumped at Jack's voice, having forgotten he was there.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"You like him, don't you?" Jack repeated, messing with some object he was holding.

"As a friend, yes," I said.

"No," Jack said, glancing up at me. "It's more than that."

"I don't know what you mean," I replied, shifting slightly in my seat.

"Don't bother denying it," Jack chided. "I saw the way you were glaring at Margaret when she and the Doctor left. And don't think I haven't seen those glances you've been giving him when you thought no one was looking."

"I don't-" I tried, but Jack cut me off.

"And what about the way you were looking at him when you two were dancing? Or that the psychic paper said you were taken?" He pointed out. I blushed, refusing to make eye contact. "You clearly feel something more than friendship towards him," Jack finished. I thought about what he said. Being around the Doctor made me happy. I loved watching him work and listening to him explain things even though I hardly ever knew what he was talking about. I liked it when he kissed me on the forehead and when he smiled at me...

I sighed. "You're right," I conceded, causing Jack to grin. "I do like him."

"So why don't you tell him?" Jack asked, coming to stand in front of me.

"I don't want to ruin the relationship we have now. I don't want to make things awkward between us, especially if he doesn't feel the same way. I'm probably just another companion to him," I replied, staring at the floor. Jack gently lifted my chin.

"Els," he said softly, "I think you're a bit more than a companion to him. I've seen the way he looks at you." I furrowed my brows in confusion. What did he mean? "I can tell he cares deeply for you. Besides, you won't know how he feels if you don't ask."

"Jack, I can't just go up to him and ask if he likes me," I protested.

"Why not?" Jack asked.

I shook my head. "Doesn't work like that."

"Works for me."

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Maybe, but I'm not brave enough to try."

"You're plenty brave," Jack insisted. "You told those gas mask zombies to go to bed and you didn't even know that would work. And I don't know any other girl who would be willing to see a German air raid while hanging from a barrage balloon." I giggled at the memory.

"Yes, well, I don't think I will be trying that again any time soon," I said, smiling.

"There's that beautiful smile," Jack grinned. I blushed, but continued to smile. "Tell you what," Jack said, patting my knee. "Since the Doctor and Margaret are out and Rose and Mickey Mouse have wandered off, why don't you and I go get some pizza? I think I spotted a place on our way back."

I nodded. "That sounds like a great idea." I jumped down from my spot.

"Shall we?" Jack asked, holding out his arm. I grinned and took it.

"We shall."

Jack and I found a small pizza joint and quickly ordered a couple of single pizzas. Jack and I sat outside on some benches overlooking the Thames as we ate. We swapped more adventure stories and I nearly spewed soda out of my nose from laughing so hard. We returned to the TARDIS and I helped Jack as he continued to repair different areas of the TARDIS. Suddenly, the TARDIS lights began to flicker. There was rumbling and the console began to spark. Jack and I rushed about like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. Then I remembered what had caused this.

"Jack!" I yelled. He glanced at me. "The extrapolator!" His eyes widened in understanding. He darted over to the extrapolator and ripped out all the wires connecting it to the TARDIS. The Doctor and Margaret burst in.

"What the heck are you doing?" The Doctor yelled.

"It just went crazy!" Jack replied. The Doctor ran over to the console, while Margaret stayed by the door.

"It's the rift. Time and space are ripping apart. The whole city's going to disappear!" The Doctor exclaimed. The console continued to spark. I stepped back out of the Doctor and Jack's way as they tried to fix the problem.

"It's the extrapolator," Jack explained, he and the Doctor wildly pressing buttons. "I've disconnected it but it's still feeding off the engine! It's using the TARDIS. I can't stop it!"

"Never mind Cardiff, it's going to rip open the planet!" the Doctor replied.

Rose ran into the TARDIS. "What is it? What's happening?!" She asked worriedly.

"Oh, just little me," Margaret said gleefully. My eyes widened as she ripped off the arm of her skin suit, revealing her alien arm underneath. I quickly darted forward and shoved Rose out of the way so instead of Margaret grabbing Rose, she grabbed me. "One wrong move and she snaps like a promise," Margaret threatened as the Doctor and Jack ran forward, causing them to stop dead. I grasped at Margaret's clawed hand, struggling to breathe.

"I might've known," the Doctor glared at Margaret.

"I've had you bleating all night, poor baby," Margaret mocked, taking a couple of steps forward, bringing me with her, "now shut it! You, fly boy, put the extrapolator at my feet," she ordered Jack. She tightened her grip on my neck when Jack hesitated. I gasped, trying desperately to get air into my lungs. Jack glanced at the Doctor who nodded. Jack did what Margaret told him.

Margaret grinned. "Thank you," she said sweetly as Jack glared at her. "Just as I planned."

"What happened to needing to blow up the nuclear power station?" I gasped, struggling to speak with the lack of air in my lungs.

"Failing that, if I were to be arrested," she replied, stroking my hair, causing me to flinch slightly, "then anyone capable of tracking me down would have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolator. Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor. So the extrapolator was programmed to go to plan B." She grabbed my hair tightly and I squeaked in pain. "To lock onto the nearest alien power source and open the rift. And what a power source it found. I'm back on schedule, thanks to you." She grinned at the Doctor, who stared at her, his gaze hard.

"The rift's going to convulse. You'll destroy the whole planet," Jack said.

"And you with it!" Margaret growled. She swung the arm holding me to the side. I attempted to pry her claws off, but her grip was too tight. Black spots started to dance in my vision. She stood on the extrapolator. "While I ride this board over the crest of the inferno all the way to freedom. Stand back, boys. Surf's up." She grinned. Suddenly, the TARDIS console cracked open and a bright light hit Margaret and I. I immediately shut my eyes, knowing it was the heart of the TARDIS.

"Of course, opening the rift means you'll pull this ship apart," the Doctor informed Margaret.

"So sue me," Margaret shrugged. The TARDIS continued to spark and shake.

"It's not just any old power source. It's the TARDIS. My TARDIS. The best ship in the universe," the Doctor declared.

"It'll make wonderful scrap," Margaret sneered.

"You see that light?" The Doctor asked. "That's the heart of the TARDIS. This ship's alive. You've opened its soul."

Margaret stared at the light. "It's so bright," she said quietly.

"Look at it, Margaret," the Doctor urged.

"Beautiful," Margaret said in awe.

"Look inside, Blon Fel Fotch," the Doctor encouraged, using Margaret's real name. "Look at the light." Gradually, Margaret's grip on my throat relaxed and I dropped to my knees, gasping for breath. Jack quickly darted around and pulled me away from Margaret. Margaret slowly looked back at the Doctor, smiling.

"Thank you," she said softly before the light overwhelmed her. Her skin suit dropped to the ground, empty.

The Doctor rushed to the console and pressed a few buttons. "Don't look," he warned. "Stay there. Close your eyes!" He closed the console and the light disappeared. "Now, Jack, come on, shut it all down. Shut down!" Jack and the Doctor ran around the console pressing buttons and pulling levers. "Rose, that panel over there, turn all the switches to the right." The shaking stopped as we managed to close the rift. "Nicely done. Thank you, all."

"What happened to Margaret?" Rose asked, eyeing the skin suit.

"Must've got burnt up. Carried out her own death sentence," Jack said.

"No, she's not dead," I told them, my voicing sounding a bit horse. The Doctor glanced at me as I rubbed my sore throat.

"Then where'd she go?" Rose questioned.

"She looked into the heart of the TARDIS. Even I don't know how strong that is," the Doctor said. "And the ship's telepathic, like I told you, Rose. Gets inside your head. Translates alien languages." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Maybe the raw energy can translate all sorts of thoughts." He knelt down next to the skin suit and rooted through it. He pulled out a large egg with tentacle like things on top. "Here she is," he said happily, holding up the egg for us all to see.

"She's an egg?" Rose asked in disbelief, kneeling down and touching one of the tentacles.

"Regressed to her childhood," the Doctor explained.

"She's an egg?" Jack repeated Rose's questioned.

"She can start again. Live her life from scratch. If we take her home, give her to a different family, tell them to bring her up properly, she might be all right!" The Doctor said excitedly.

"Or she might be worse," Jack retorted.

"That's her choice," the Doctor replied.

"She's an egg," Rose said again, still not believing her eyes.

"She's an egg," the Doctor confirmed happily.

"Oh, my gosh. Mickey," Rose gasped. She darted past the Doctor, who placed a hand on the ground to keep himself steady as Rose bumped him. The Doctor stood up and placed the egg on the console by the time router. He walked over to where I sat on the captain's chair. I was still rubbing my throat.

"Are you okay?" He asked me, looking at me with concern.

"I'm fine," I assured him, my voice still sounding horse. "Just a bit sore is all."

"Can I see?" He asked. I looked at him and sighed before nodding. I moved my hand so the Doctor could examine my throat. He tilted my head up slightly to get a better look. Bruises had started to form in the shape of Margaret's claws. I glanced at Jack as the Doctor examined my neck. Jack raised his eyebrows as if to say 'what did I tell you'. I rolled my eyes. The Doctor pulled a tube of some type of cream from his jacket. "This will take care of the bruising and will numb the pain," he explained as he smeared the contents of the tube on my neck.

"Thanks," I told him when he had finished.

"You're beginning to make this a habit," he teased.

I shrugged. "Small price to pay for saving the world." The Doctor smiled at me softly. Rose came walking back in, looking rather dejected.

"We're all powered up," the Doctor said, moving to the console. "We can leave. Opening the rift filled us up with energy. We can go, if that's all right." He stared at Rose questioningly.

"Yeah, fine," Rose mumbled.

"How's Mickey?" The Doctor asked.

' _Now he decides to get his name right,_ ' I thought as I mentally rolled my eyes.

"He's okay. He's gone," Rose replied.

"Do you want to go and find him? We'll wait," the Doctor told her.

"No need. He deserves better," Rose said sadly.

"Off we go, then. Always moving on," the Doctor said, pressing a couple buttons.

"Next stop, Raxacoricofallapatorius. Now you don't often get to say that," Jack grinned.

"We'll just stop by and pop her in the hatchery. Margaret the Slitheen can live her life again. A second chance," the Doctor said.

"That'd be nice," Rose mumbled.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Please review and let me know. I have taken down the links for Elena's outfits, but I have provided a link to my Pinterest board. It's currently a secret board, but I will make it public once I have posted this chapter. I will continue to add outfits as I write new chapters. Hope everyone had a good holiday.**


	12. Bad Wolf

**Hey readers! Here is the next chapter. I hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far. Please review and let me know what you guys think.**

* * *

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that I wasn't in my bed. I was laying on something hard. I groaned and rolled onto my back.

"About time you woke up," an unfamiliar voice said. My eyes shot open and I sat bolt upright. I clamped my eyes shut again at the bright light. "Take it easy," the voice said. "The transmat beam can scramble your head." Slowly, I opened my eyes again, and blinked. Crouched next to me was a young man with messy black hair and green eyes. He looked how I imagined Percy Jackson.

"Where am I?" I asked, as the guy helped me to my feet.

"Satellite Five," he replied. "Name's Evan," he introduced, holding out his hand.

"Elena." I shook his hand distractedly as I glanced around. I was in a large white room. Some people in uniforms and carrying clipboards ran around, shouting orders. Other people in suits and dresses stood around mumbling to themselves, some looking rather nervous. "How did I get here?"

"Transmat beam. Picks you at random," Evan explained. I noticed he was dressed in a tux.

"What are you dressed like that for?" I asked.

"You're not serious?" He chuckled, but quickly stopped when I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. "I guess you are. It's for the game."

"What game? And what am I doing on Satellite Five?" I asked.

Evan raised his eyebrows. " _Stars In Their Eyes_ ," he said, like it should have been obvious.

"And that would be?" I inquired, gesturing for him to elaborate.

"You really don't know?" He asked, looking at me in disbelief.

"Wouldn't be asking if I did," I snapped. I felt like I should know something, but for some reason I couldn't think of what it could be. It was starting to drive me crazy. I was also pretty sure I had been to Satellite Five before, but I couldn't remember when.

Evan sighed. " _Stars In Their Eyes_ is one of the many game shows that Satellite Five runs," he explained. "The transmat beam picks people at random to perform on the variety of shows."

"What exactly goes on in the _Stars In Their Eyes_?" I asked.

"Well, you..." Evan began.

"Evan Holmes," a woman in a suit called. "You're up next."

"Up next for what?" I asked, looking back and forth between the woman and Evan.

"To sing," Evan replied. "That's what you do on this show. You sing for the judges and they vote and hopefully you will make it to the next round."

"What happens if you don't?" I asked hesitantly, not really sure I wanted to know the answer. Evan opened his mouth to answer, but the woman cut him off.

"Mr. Holmes, you're up," the woman said.

"I got to go. Good luck," Evan said, clapping me on the arm. I stared after him as he darted off. The woman approached me.

"Elena Jackson?" She inquired.

I narrowed my eyes. "Who's asking?"

"After Evan is Angela, and after her is you. You will need to get dressed," she said. "Oh, and you will need to pick a song."

"What is going on?" I asked, getting irritated that I couldn't remember what was happening. "The last thing I remember is dropping off Margaret at Raxacoricofallapatorius and the Doctor, Rose, Jack, and I had just escaped from Kyoto, Japan in 1336." I racked my brain, trying to remember what happened next. "We were all in the TARDIS and there was a bright light and then I woke up here."

"The transmat beam tends to scramble everyone's head for a while," the woman stated flatly, as if she had explained it one too many times. "Head over that way and you will be given a new outfit and make over." She pointed to door behind me. "You're on in ten." She walked off briskly. Confused, I walked over to the door she was talking about. A sign on the door read 'Dressing Room'. I knocked. The door opened and a young brunette stood before me.

"You must be here for a makeover," she said, smiling brightly.

"So I've been told," I replied. "Though I don't know what's wrong with the outfit I'm wearing." I pulled at the hem of my sweater. I hadn't changed out of the coral sweater and military green jacket.

"Please," the woman scoffed as she tugged me into the room. "You expect that to impress the judges?"

"I'm thinking maybe a purple," a blonde woman suggested. She held up a dark purple floor length dress. "Try this one." She gestured to a screen standing in the corner. I took the dress and went behind the screen. I came out from behind the screen. The dress had one shoulder strap and reached my ankles. It had two strips of ribbon circling my waist with purple beads in between.

"Perfect!" The brunette squealed in delight.

"Now makeup and hair," the blonde said. They sat me down in a chair and braided my hair in a waterfall style. They applied eye shadow, eye liner, and mascara.

"There we are. You're done," the brunette said. I stared at myself in the mirror. I hardly recognized the person staring back at me in the mirror. I looked like a model.

"You will defiantly impress those judges," the blonde said confidently. "Now you just need to pick a song." The door opened and the smartly dressed woman from earlier poked her head in.

"Elena Jackson, you're on in two minutes," she said before leaving. I felt my stomach drop. I was too busy trying to remember what happened in this episode that I hadn't thought of a song yet. The blonde and brunette ushered me out of the dressing room after giving me a pair of black high heels. I desperately tried to think of a song, but in my nervousness I forgot every song I knew. "Miss Elena, you're up," the woman said. I followed her to a stage. I nervously walked out onto the stage, wobbling slightly in my heels. I reached the middle of the stage and turned. In front of the stage was a table with three judges, two men and one woman.

"Please state your name," one of the men said.

"Elena Jackson," I replied, clasping my hands together to keep them from shaking. I was terrified of performing in front of people.

"And what song will you be singing for us?" the woman asked.

" _Fireflies_ by Owl City," I replied, blurting out the first song that came to my mind.

"Right," the second man said, leaning back in his chair. "Impress us." The music started.

You would not believe your eyes  
If ten million fireflies  
Lit up the world as I fell asleep  
'Cause they'd fill the open air  
And leave tear drops everywhere  
You'd think me rude  
But I would just stand and stare

I sang to the music, trying to imagine I was just singing by myself in my room in the TARDIS.

I'd like to make myself believe  
That planet Earth turns slowly  
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep  
'Cause everything is never as it seems

I started to relax.

I'd like to make myself believe  
That planet Earth turns slowly  
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep  
'Cause everything is never as it seems  
(When I fall asleep)

I smiled and swayed with the music.

Leave my door open just a crack  
(Please take me away from here)  
'Cause I feel like such an insomniac  
(Please take me away from here)  
Why do I tire of counting sheep?  
(Please take me away from here)  
When I'm far too tired to fall asleep

To ten million fireflies  
I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes  
I got misty eyes as they said farewell  
(Said farewell)  
But I'll know where several are  
If my dreams get real bizarre  
'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar

[2x]  
I'd like to make myself believe  
That planet Earth turns slowly  
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep  
'Cause everything is never as it seems  
(When I fall asleep)

I sang loudly and my voice carried around the room.

I'd like to make myself believe  
That planet Earth turns slowly  
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep  
Because my dreams are bursting at the seams

I finished the song and looked at the judges.

"Very good," the first man said. "Please go backstage while we decide who will make it to the next round." I went behind the curtains and another woman led to to a bench. I sat down and took off one of my high heels and started massaging my foot, glancing around as people ran about performing their jobs. I remembered that the Doctor, Rose, and I had come to Satellite Five and fixed their problem with the Jagrafess. Something told me, however, that this is not what was supposed to happen once we had left. Something was definitely wrong. I needed to find a way to get out of here. I put my high heel back in and walked over to Evan.

"Hey," he smiled as I approached. "How do you think you did?"

"Never mind that," I dismissed, waving a hand. "I need to get out of here. Where's the exit?"

"What?" He asked in confusion.

"The exit," I repeated. "Where's the exit?"

"You can't leave," he said.

"I have to. I'm not supposed to be here," I insisted. "Plus I have to go find my friends."

"No, really, you're not allowed to leave," he said. "If you don't sing, you'll get blinded if you're lucky. If you try to run, you'll get hit by the disintegrator beam."

"The what?" I inquired, not sure I had heard him right. Just then the woman who led me onto the stage came back.

"The judges have decided," she said, and gestured for Evan and I to follow her. We went back onto the stage and stood before the judges. Other contestants stood on the stage with us. I glanced at the others. There were ten of us in total. The girl next to me was shaking and a couple of the others were muttering to themselves.

"You all did a fine job," the second male judge said, addressing all the contestants. "The choice was difficult, but we have chosen those who will proceed to the next round." He paused for dramatic effect. "Angela, Evan, Julie, Elena, James, and Tina, you will all proceed to the next round." I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. "The rest of you, unfortunately, will not be proceeding to the next round." The remaining four contestants looked terrified. One girl even started crying. I tilted my head slightly in confusion. Why did they look so scared? They just weren't going to the next round. They would probably be sent home. "Please step forward," the judge directed the four contestants. They hesitantly stepped forward. I heard moving machinery and caught movement behind the judges. My eyes widened as I saw a large gun of some sort getting into position. It charged up and shot at the four contestants, disintegrating them. I stared, horrified at the pile of ash that was left behind. They killed the contestants that didn't make it to the next round?! "The rest of you will now be given ten minutes to prepare for the next round." We were led off the stage. I walked in a daze. How could they just kill those people? I desperately tried to come up with a plan to get out of here. Where were the Doctor, Jack, and Rose? Evan had said that there were a variety of different game shows on Satellite Five. They must have wound up at another game.

"Two minutes till curtain," someone informed the contestants. I didn't have enough time before the next round to come up with a plan. I decided I would figure a plan out after the next round, assuming I survived. Hopefully the Doctor would find me before anything happened.

When my turn came up, I walked out into the stage and stood before the judges.

"Ah, Elena Jackson," the first male judge greeted. "What song will you sing for us this time?"

" _The Last Goodbye_ by Billy Boyd," I replied. The music started and I let my voice echo throughout the room.

I saw the light fade from the sky  
On the wind I heard a sigh  
As the snowflakes cover  
My fallen brothers  
I will say this last goodbye

Night is now falling  
So ends this day  
The road is now calling  
And I must away

Over hill and under tree  
Through lands where never light has shone  
By silver streams that run down to the sea

I smiled as I thought of the TARDIS. That beautiful police box that I called home.

And though where the road then takes me,  
I cannot tell  
We came all this way  
But now comes the day  
To bid you farewell

Many places I have been  
Many sorrows I have seen  
But I don't regret  
Nor will I forget  
All who took that road with me

I thought about the many adventures the Doctor and I have been on together.

Night is now falling  
So ends this day  
The road is now calling  
And I must away

Over hill, and under tree  
Through lands where never light has shone  
By silver streams that run down to the sea

To these memories I will hold  
With your blessing I will go  
To turn at last to paths that lead home

And though where the road then takes me,  
I cannot tell  
We came all this way  
But now comes the day  
To bid you farewell

I bid you all a very fond farewell

I left the stage as the judges made their decision. The remaining six contestants came back a couple minutes later.

"I'm sorry to say that only two of you will make it to the final round," the female judge said. She paused for effect, making eye contact with each of the remaining six contestants. "Elena and Evan, you two will proceed to the final round." I sighed in relief, but immediately felt guilty. I may have survived this round, but the other four beside me didn't. "The rest of you, please step forward," the female judge ordered. The four contestants stepped forward, trembling in fear as the disintegrator armed itself. It was just about to fire when it suddenly blew up. Everyone instinctively shielded their faces. I stared in confusion at the smoking gun.

"Sorry about that. It appears we are experiencing technical difficulties. This game is now canceled till further notice," said a familiar voice.

"Doctor!" I called happily as I spotted the leather clad alien walking to the stage. I ran to the edge of the stage and launched myself into his arms. He stumbled back a couple of steps to steady himself. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and I buried my face in the crook of his neck. "I knew you would find me," I mumbled into his neck.

"Well, at least someone has some faith in me," he chuckled. He set me on the ground and looked me over for any injuries. "Blimey," he said quietly.

"What?" I questioned, titling my head.

"Nothing, it's just, you look beautiful," he replied.

"Yes, well, you can admire my getup later," I said, looking away and hoping the makeup hid my red cheeks.

"Hey! Don't I get a hug?" Another familiar voice called. I smiled and turned to Jack.

"Course you do," I giggled and hugged him. I noticed a young woman standing awkwardly off to the side. "Who are you?" I asked.

"Oh, right," the Doctor said, "Elena, this is Lynda with a 'y'. Lynda, this is Elena."

I shook her hand, smiling. "Nice to meet you, Lynda with a 'y'."

"You too," she replied cheerfully.

"Elena, who are your friends?" Evan asked as he jumped down from the stage.

"Oh, right," I said. "Evan, I would like you to meet the Doctor and Jack Harkness." The Doctor stared at Evan with an unreadable expression.

"There should be a Captain in there somewhere," Jack said.

"Sorry. _Captain_ Jack Harkness," I corrected.

Jack walked up to Evan and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you," he said with a wink.

"Not now, Jack," I scolded.

"Sorry," he told me. "Maybe later," he added to Evan who simply blinked.

I glanced around, feeling like something was missing. "Where's Rose?" I asked the Doctor.

"We haven't found her yet," he replied.

"Who's Rose?" Evan asked.

"Another friend," I answered offhandedly.

"We need to get back to the main room," Jack said. Suddenly, something clicked in my brain.

My eyes widened. "Doctor!" The Time Lord turned to me. "Rose is in The Weakest Link. She with the Anne Droid!" I yelled frantically.

"Oh my gosh!" Lynda gasped.

"We have to get her out of there!" Evan shouted.

"Come on," the Doctor said before taking off. I ran after him, kicking off my heels in the process. There was no way I was running in high heels. Jack, Lynda, and Evan followed.

We finally found where Rose's game was. We halted before a door.

"Stand back, let me blast it open," Jack ordered.

"You can't," the Doctor protested. "It's made of Hydra combination." He pushed Jack aside and started working on the lock. "Come on, come on, come on," he muttered to himself. He finally got the door open and we all ran in. "Rose! Stop this game!" He ordered. Rose was standing at one of several podiums situated in a semi circle. The Anne Droid stood facing the podiums. Rose snapped her head around at the sound of the Doctor's voice.

" **Rose, you leave this life with nothing** ," the Anne Droid said.

"Stop this game!" Jack yelled.

"I order you to stop this game!" The Doctor repeated.

" **You are the weakest link** ," the Anne Droid said. I ran forward.

"Rose!" I screamed.

"Look out for the Anne Droid, it's armed!" Rose yelled as she ran towards me. I managed to reach her in time. I grabbed her arms and swung her around so I was in between her and the Anne Droid. I screamed as the Anne Droid shot me and the world went dark.

I gasped and my eyes shot open. I was alive! But how? What happened? I looked around and my stomach dropped at what I saw. Daleks. Thousands of them.

" **Alert. Alert. We are detected** ," a Dalek said as it rolled around a corner.

" **It is the Doctor. He has located us. Open communications channel,** " another Dalek ordered.

The first Dalek rolled up to me. " **The female will stand. Stand!** " It ordered. I hastily got to my feet, being careful not to trip on my dress. A holo-veiwscreen appeared with the Doctor on it.

" **I will talk to the Doctor,** " the second Dalek demanded.

"Oh, will you? That's nice. Hello!" The Doctor greeted in mock cheerfulness and waved. I could see, however, that the smile didn't reach his eyes. The Daleks were in for a world of trouble.

" **The Dalek stratagem nears completion** ," the second Dalek reported. " **The fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene.** "

"Oh, really?" The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "Why's that, then?"

" **We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated** ," the Dalek threatened.

"No," the Doctor said firmly. Oh dear, now the Daleks had done it. No one threatened a companion of the Doctor and got away with it. The others I could see on the screen behind the Doctor stared at him with a combination of surprise and confusion.

" **Explain yourself** ," the Dalek demanded.

"I said no," the Doctor repeated, glowering at the Daleks. I could see the approach of the Oncoming Storm.

" **What is the meaning of this negative?** " The Dalek questioned.

"It means no."

" **But she will be destroyed** ," the Dalek insisted.

"No!" The Doctor yelled, finally snapping. "Because this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to rescue her. I'm going to save Elena Jackson from the middle of the Dalek fleet and then I'm going to save the Earth, and then, just to finish off, I'm going to wipe every last stinking Dalek out of the sky!" He finished.

" **But you have no weapons, no defenses, no plan** ," the Dalek pointed out.

"Yeah. And doesn't that scare you to death," the Doctor said. "Elena?"

"Yes, Doctor?" I asked.

"I'm coming to get you," he said firmly then cut the transmission with his sonic screwdriver.

" **The Doctor is initiating hostile action** ," the Dalek alerted.

" **The stratagem must advance. Begin the invasion of Earth!** " Another Dalek ordered.

" **The Doctor will be exterminated!** " Yet another Dalek stated.

" **Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!** " All the Daleks repeated.

* * *

 **Another chapter done. What did you guys think? Please review and tell me any ideas about how to improve future chapters.**


	13. The Parting of Ways

**Hello readers! Sorry for posting this late. I meant to post this chapter last night, but it got to be too late and I had to get up in the morning. I want to thank everyone for your wonderful reviews! Anyway, without further ado, here is the latter chapter for season one.**

* * *

" **You know the Doctor. You understand him. You will predict his actions** ," a Dalek ordered me.

"Like I would tell you," I snapped, crossing my arms defiantly.

That didn't sit too well with the Dalek. " **Predict! Predict! Predict!** " It screeched.

" **Tardis detected in flight** ," another Dalek reported.

" **Launch missiles,** " the Dalek by me ordered. " **Exterminate.** "

"No! You can't! The TARDIS hasn't got any defenses. You're going to kill him!" I panicked.

" **You have predicted correctly,** " the Dalek next to me said. Suddenly I heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS engines. The TARDIS began to materialize around me and the Dalek next to me.

"Elena, get down!" The Doctor warned. My eyes widened as I saw the gun Jack was holding and I quickly dropped to the ground.

" **Exterminate!** " The Dalek that had been brought with me screeched. The Dalek fired, but missed and Jack took it out with the gun he was holding.

"You did it," Rose said happily as the Doctor ran over and hugged me.

"Hello again. Nice of you to stop by," I said.

"I told you I'd come and get you," he reminded me.

I grinned. "Never doubted it."

He grinned back. "I did. You all right?" He asked in concern.

"Yeah. You?" I inquired.

The Doctor shrugged. "Not bad, been better."

"Hey, where's my hug?" Jack complained.

"I gave you one earlier," I teased.

"But he got another one," Jack whined, pointing to the Doctor.

"Oh, come here!" I laughed and hugged him.

"Welcome home," Jack said.

"Oh, I thought I'd never see you again," Rose said as Jack let me go and she grabbed me in a bone crushing hug. She pulled back and smacked my arm.

"Ow!" I yelped, rubbing my arm. "What was that for?"

"For putting yourself in danger," she said angrily.

"Well, I apologize for trying to save your life," I retorted. She hugged me again.

"Sorry. It's just we were all so worried." I sighed and hugged her back.

"Yes, well, I'm okay now," I assured her as I patted her back.

"You were lucky," Jack butted in. "That was just a one shot wonder. Drained the gun of all its power supply. Now it's just a piece of junk." He tossed the gun aside and eyed the smoking remains of the Dalek.

"You said they were extinct," Rose said, turning to the Doctor. "How come they're still alive?"

"One minute they're the greatest threat in the Universe, the next minute they vanished out of time and space," Jack said.

"They went off to fight a bigger war. The Time War," the Doctor said flatly.

"I thought that was just a legend," Jack said.

"I was there," the Doctor said quietly. I walked up to him and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "The war between the Daleks and the Time Lords, with the whole of creation at stake. My people were destroyed, but they took the Daleks with them. I almost thought it was worth it. Now it turns out they died for nothing."

"There's thousands of them now," Rose noted. "We could hardly stop one. What're we going to do?"

"No good stood round here chin wagging. Human race, you'd gossip all day. The Daleks have got the answers. Let's go and meet the neighbors," the Doctor said in false cheerfulness.

"You can't go out there!" Rose warned, attempting to stop the Doctor and I as we exited the TARDIS.

" **Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!** " The Daleks screamed as they tried to shoot us. Fortunately for us, a force field around the TARDIS protected us. The Daleks stopped when they realized they weren't getting through.

"Is that it? Useless! Null points," the Doctor mocked. He turned to the Jack and Rose. "It's all right, come on out. That force field can hold back anything."

"Almost anything," Jack corrected.

"Yes, but we weren't going to tell them that," I muttered.

"Sorry," Jack apologized.

"Do you know what they call me in the ancient legends of the Dalek Homeworld?" The Doctor asked the Daleks. "The Oncoming Storm. You might've removed all your emotions but I reckon right down deep in your DNA, there's one little spark left, and that's fear. Doesn't it just burn when you face me? So tell me. How did you survive the Time War?" He asked darkly.

" **They survived through me** ," another Dalek said, this one sounding large. We turned to see a huge Dalek rising up.

"Elena, Rose, Captain, this is the Emperor of the Daleks," the Doctor introduced. I gaped at the size of the Dalek Emperor.

" **You destroyed us, Doctor,** " the Emperor accused. " **The Dalek race died in your inferno, but my ship survived, falling through time, crippled but alive.** "

"I get it," the Doctor said flatly.

" **Do not interrupt** ," a Dalek said.

" **Do not interrupt** ," two more Daleks repeated.

"I think you're forgetting something. I'm the Doctor, and if there's one thing I can do, it's talk. I've got five billion languages, and you haven't got one way of stopping me. So if anybody's going to shut up, it's you!" The Doctor shouted, getting close to one of the Daleks. They all backed away. "Okey doke. So, where were we?"

" **We waited here in the dark space, damaged but rebuilding. Centuries passed, and we quietly infiltrated the systems of Earth, harvesting the waste of humanity,** " the Emperor explained. " **The prisoners, the refugees, the dispossessed. They all came to us. The bodies were filtered, pulped, sifted. The seed of the human race is perverted. Only one cell in a billion was fit to be nurtured.** "

"So you created an army of Daleks out of the dead," the Doctor stated.

"That makes them half human," Rose realized.

" **Those words are blasphemy** ," the Emperor accused.

" **Do not blaspheme** ," all the Daleks chanted. I glanced around at the Daleks, raising my eyebrows slightly. I didn't think Daleks had a concept of blasphemy.

" **Everything human has been purged. I cultivated pure and blessed Dalek** ," the Emperor assured us.

The Doctor glanced around and then turned back to the Emperor. "Since when did the Daleks have a concept of blasphemy?" He asked.

" **I reached into the dirt and made new life. I am the God of all Daleks!** " The Emperor stated proudly.

" **Worship him. Worship him. Worship him** ," the Daleks chanted. I eyed the Daleks and shifted away from them nervously, tightening my grip on the Doctor's hand slightly.

"They're insane," the Doctor realized. "Hiding in silence for hundreds of years, that's enough to drive anyone mad. But it's worse than that. Driven mad by your own flesh. The stink of humanity. You hate your own existence. And that makes them more deadly than ever. We're going." The Doctor turned around and pulled me back to the TARDIS. I gladly followed, wanting to get away from the insane Daleks.

" **You may not leave my presence** ," the Emperor stated.

" **Stay where you are** ," a Dalek ordered.

" **Exterminate!** " They screeched. They started shooting at the forcefield in a vain attempt to reach us as we entered the TARDIS. " **Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Worship him! You will be exterminated!** " The Doctor placed his head against the TARDIS doors as he listened to the Daleks. I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He glanced at me. I could see the pain in his eyes. I furrowed my brows in concern and moved my hand to his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into my hand.

"We'll get them," I assured him softly. He opened his eyes. "We won't let the Daleks get away this time." He nodded then set his jaw and went over to the console and piloted us back to Satellite Five.

The TARDIS materialized onto Floor 500 and the Doctor ran out. "Turn everything up. All transmitters full power, wide open. Now! Do it!" He yelled to the two workers sitting at the computers.

"Elena!" Evan shouted. He ran up to me and engulfed me in a hug. "You're okay," he said in relief.

I returned the hug. "Course I am. Takes a bit more than being transported into the middle of a fleet of Daleks to get rid of me," I told him with a smile. Since my back was to him, I didn't notice the Doctor glance at Evan and I with a frown.

"What does this do?" A young man asked as he jumped to obey the Doctor's orders.

"Stops the Daleks from transmatting on board," the Doctor explained. "How did you get on? Did you contact Earth?"

"Well, we tried to warn them, but all they did was suspend our license because we stopped the programs," the man reported.

"And the planet's just sitting there, defenseless," the Doctor said. He noticed Lynda sitting off to the side. "Lynda, what're you still doing on board?" He turned to the man. "I told you to evacuate everyone."

"She wouldn't go," the man shrugged.

"Didn't want to leave you," Lynda said, smiling at the Doctor. I raised my eyebrow at her.

"There weren't enough shuttles anyway, or I wouldn't be here," the other worker, a woman, retorted. "We've got about a hundred people stranded on Floor Zero."

"Oh, my gosh," the man gasped as he looked at one of the many computer screens. "The Fleet is moving. They're on their way." The Doctor began pulling a bunch of junk out of the conduits.

"Dalek plan. Big mistake, because what have they left me with?" The Doctor asked. "Anyone? Anyone?" None of us answered, but merely stared at him in confusion. "Oh, come on, it's obvious. A great big transmitter. This station. If I can change the signal, fold it back, sequence it, anyone?"

"You've got to be kidding," Jack said, seeming to understand what the Doctor was doing.

"Give the man a medal," the Doctor grinned, pulling out wires.

"A Delta Wave?" Jack asked.

"A Delta Wave!" The Doctor exclaimed excitedly.

"What's a Delta Wave?" I asked, looking back and forth between the Doctor and Jack.

"A wave of Van Cassadyne energy. It fries your brain. Stand in the way of a Delta Wave and your head gets barbecued," Jack explained. I stuck out my tongue in disgust.

"And this place can transmit a massive wave. Wipe out the Daleks!" The Doctor grinned.

"Well, get started and do it then," Lynda said.

"Trouble is, wave this size, building this big, brain as clever as mine, should take about, oh, three days?" The Doctor said. "How long till the Fleet arrive?"

"Twenty two minutes," the man supplied. The Doctor nodded and continued to pull out wires.

A while later there were wires strewn across the floor. The Doctor was messing with some of the wiring.

"We've now got a force field so they can't blast us out of the sky, but that doesn't stop the Daleks from physically invading," Jack said to the small group of people in front of him.

"Do they know about the Delta Wave?" The man from earlier asked.

"They'll have worked it out at the same time. So, they want to stop the Doctor. That means they've got to get to this level, five hundred," Jack explained, pointing to a digital model of Satellite Five on the computer screen in front of us. "Now, I can concentrate the extrapolator around the top six levels, five hundred to four nine five. So they'll penetrate the station below that at level four nine four and fight their way up."

"Who are they fighting?" The man asked, confused.

"Us," Jack replied simply.

"And what are we fighting with?" Evan inquired.

"The guards had guns with bastic bullets. That's enough to blow a Dalek wide open," Jack replied.

"There's seven of us," the woman protested.

"Elena, Rose, you can help me. I need all these wires stripping bare," the Doctor said. Rose and I walked over to where the Doctor sat.

"Right, now there's five of us," the woman corrected irritably.

"Then let's move it. Into the lift. Isolate the lift controls," Jack ordered. The man and the woman ran off.

Lynda approached the Doctor and I eyed her carefully. "I just want to say, er, thanks, I suppose, and I'll do my best," she told him nervously.

"Me too," he replied. The looked like they wanted to hug, but decided on shaking hands. Lynda ran off to join the others.

I smiled as Evan approached me. "Good luck," I told him.

"You too," he replied. He hugged me tightly, seeming to understand he wouldn't be coming back. Once again, I didn't notice the Doctor eyeing Evan carefully out of the corner of his eye. "Take care of yourself," Evan whispered in my ear. "I can tell you mean a lot to the Doctor and I would hate to see what would happen if he lost you again."

I blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"He was devastated when he thought you were killed by the disintegrator beam," Evan said quietly. My stomach dropped. I didn't realize that the Doctor would take my death so hard. "Be careful, alright?" I nodded. We hugged again and he jogged off to join Lynda and the others. I watched him go sadly. I may not have known him for long, but I still cared for him. I looked around as Jack approached us.

"It's been fun, but I guess this is goodbye," Jack told us.

"Don't talk like that," Rose scolded. "The Doctor's going to do it. You just watch him."

"Rose, you are worth fighting for," Jack told her. He kissed her. "Wish I'd never met you, Doctor. I was much better off as a coward." He kissed the Doctor in the same manner he had Rose. I watched Jack sadly. Jack then turned to me. "And you, my precious Els," he said cupping my face. I didn't notice the Doctor eyeing Jack, an unreadable expression on his face. "Be careful and keep an eye on those two."

"Two eyes. As often as I can spare them," I smirked. Jack chuckled and instead of kissing me like he had the Doctor and Rose, he kissed me on the forehead in a brotherly fashion. I closed my eyes.

"See you in hell," Jack said, saluting us before running off to join the others.

"He's going to be all right, isn't he?" Rose asked, trying to convince herself. The Doctor and I didn't answer.

The Doctor, Rose, and I sat stripping the wires. "Too bad we can't use the TARDIS to go back in time and warn everyone about the Daleks," I commented.

"As soon as the TARDIS lands in that second, I become part of events, stuck in the timeline," the Doctor said.

"Figured you'd say that," I said, going back to my task. Rose sat quietly, listening to our conversation.

"There's another thing the TARDIS could do," the Doctor said. "It could take us away. We could leave. Let history take its course. We go to Marbella in 1989."

"Yeah, but you'd never do that," I pointed out.

"No," the Doctor agreed, "but you could ask." I didn't say anything. "Never even occurred to you, did it?"

I looked up from the wire I was currently stripping. "I would never ask you to leave behind innocent people, especially when there is something we can do to help," I told him softly. The Doctor stared at me. He looked away when a beeping sounded..

"The Delta Wave's started building," the Doctor said, jumping up to go check the computer. Rose and I dropped what we were doing and walked over to the computer. "How long does it need?" The Doctor looked at the screen. He sighed and dropped his head.

"That bad huh?" I asked.

"How bad is it?" Rose inquired anxiously.

Suddenly, the Doctor jumped up. "Elena Jackson, you're a genius!" The Doctor said excitedly, kissing my forehead. I was so confused by his sudden change in mood that I didn't blush. "We can do it. If I use the TARDIS to cross my old timeline. Yes!" He darted into the TARDIS, Rose and I at his heels. "Hold that down and keep position." He pointed to a lever. Rose obliged.

"What's it do?" Rose asked.

"Cancels the buffers. If I'm very clever and I'm more than clever, I'm brilliant, I might just save the world. Or rip it apart," the Doctor trailed off.

"I'd go for the first one," I said, eyeing him questioningly, still not sure what he was planning. Something felt off. I thought we weren't supposed to cross our own timelines.

"Me too," he agreed. "Now, I've just got to go and power up the Game Station. Hold on!" The Doctor ran out of the TARDIS, closing the door behind him. I eyed the closed door suspiciously. I jerked my head around at the sound of the TARDIS engines.

' _No!_ ' I thought. ' _He's not. He can't!_ '

"Doctor, what're you doing? Can I take my hand off?" Rose asked. "It's moving." I bolted to the door and tried to open it. Locked. He had locked us in. I slammed a fist into the door in frustration. I should have known he would do this. Foreknowledge or not, I knew him well enough to know he would do what he could to protect Rose and I.

Rose ran over to the door and started banging on it. "Doctor, let us out!" She called desperately. "Let us out! Doctor, what've you done?" We turned around as a hologram of the Doctor appeared.

" **This is Emergency Program One. Elena, Rose, now listen, this is important** ," the Holo-Doctor said. " **If this message is activated, then it can only mean one thing. We must be in danger. And I mean fatal. I'm dead or about to die any second with no chance of escape.** "

"No!" Rose gasped. Tears filled my eyes as I stared at the hologram.

" **And that's okay** ," the Holo-Doctor assured us. " **Hope it's a good death. But I promised to look after you, and that's what I'm doing. The TARDIS is taking you home.** "

Rose shook her head. "I won't let you," she said defiantly.

" **And I bet you two are fussing and moaning now. Typical. But hold on and just listen a bit more. The TARDIS can never return for me. Emergency Program One means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on this machine. So this is what you should do. Let the TARDIS die.** " I moved closer to the hologram. " **Just let this old box gather dust. No one can open it. No one'll even notice it. Let it become a strange little thing standing on a street corner. And over the years, the world'll move on and the box will be buried. And if you want to remember me, then you can do one thing. That's all, one thing.** " The Holo-Doctor turned his head to stare directly at Rose and I. " **Have a good life. Do that for me, Elena and Rose. Have a fantastic life.** " The hologram vanished.

Rose ran to the console and tried to work the controls. "You can't do this to me. You can't. Take me back! Take me back! No!" She yelled, tears streaming down her face. I sank to the floor in a state of shock. How had I not seen this coming? Why couldn't I remember any of this episode? I barely registered when the engines stopped and Rose ran past me and opened the TARDIS doors. Rose ran back in and to the console again. "Come on, fly! How do you fly? Come on, help me!" She tried all the controls again, but the TARDIS remained quiet.

"Rose, it's no use," I said sadly.

"Can't you fly her?" Rose asked desperately. "I've seen you help the Doctor fly her. Can't you do something?"

I shook my head, tears running down my cheeks. "I can't fly the TARDIS without the Doctor."

"Why didn't you see this coming?" She inquired angrily, tears running down her cheeks. "You claim to have seen all this on tv, so why didn't you stop him?"

"I can't remember any of this episode," I replied sadly. "Something is blocking my memory."

"Then what good are you?" She snapped. I didn't reply. She went back outside, brushing past me on the way. I didn't move from my spot. She was right. What good was I if I couldn't remember such an important episode? I stood up and decided to go change out of my dress. I shuffled back to my room and rooted in my closet for an outfit. I pulled out a plain purple t-shirt, my usual jeans, a grey sweat jacket, combat boots, and leather jacket.

When I left the TARDIS, Rose was nowhere in sight. I sighed and decided to go for a walk. I reached a bench and sat down. Finally, everything that had just happened came crashing down on me and I burst into tears. I brought my knees to my chest and buried my head in my arms, letting out all the emotions that had piled up over that past few hours. After a couple of minutes, I had stopped crying, but I had yet to move from my position. I glanced through the space in between arm and leg. Something caught my eye. I uncurled to take a better look. On the ground, written in big white letters, was 'Bad Wolf'. My eyes widened. I had seen 'Bad Wolf Corporation' written on the wall on Floor 500. A smile made its way onto my face. We could get back to the Doctor. I stood up and looked around, trying to remember where Rose had gone in this episode. I took off in a random direction. I spotted her and Mickey walking down the sidewalk.

"Rose!" I called. The blonde looked up at my voice.

"What do you want?" She snapped.

"Rose!" Mickey scolded, unsure why she was acting that way.

"There is something you need to see," I told her urgently. She stared at me for a moment before nodding at me to lead the way. I ran back the way I had come. I stopped in front of the words. Rose glanced down at them and looked back at me.

"It's the words that keep following us," she realized.

"Yeah," I confirmed. "I saw these same words on Floor 500. Do you know what this means?" I asked excitedly.

She grinned. "We can get back." I nodded enthusiastically. She squealed happily and enveloped me in a hug. I was a bit surprised, but returned the hug gratefully. Rose, Mickey, and I ran back to the TARDIS.

"All the TARDIS needs to do is make a return trip. Just reverse," Rose said, circling the console.

"Yeah, but we still can't do it," Mickey protested.

"The TARDIS is telepathic, Mickey," I explained. "She's is alive. She can listen." I patted the console affectionately.

"It's not listening now, is it?" Mickey pointed out.

"We need to get inside it," Rose said. "Last time I saw you, with the Slitheen, this middle bit opened, and there was this light, and the Doctor said it was the heart of the TARDIS. If we can open it, I can make contact. I can tell it what to do." I shifted nervously. She was right, but there was no way I was going to let her take the Time Vortex. I had promised Jackie that Rose would always return and I had no intention of breaking that promise.

"Rose," Mickey said quietly.

"Mmm?" Rose acknowledged.

"If you go back, you're going to die. Both of you," he said, glancing at me. I was a bit taken aback that Mickey was concerned about me.

"That's a risk I've got to take, because there's nothing left for me here," Rose said.

"Nothing?" Mickey asked dejectedly. I eyed him sadly.

Rose shook her head. "No."

"Okay, if that's what you think, let's get this thing open," Mickey conceded.

Mickey brought his car around and attached a chain to the TARDIS console. He gunned the engine. The chain strained.

"Faster!" Rose urged. Mickey stepped on gas. "It's not moving!" The chain broke and Rose kicked the console in frustration. Rose plopped herself down in the captain's chair. I placed my hands on the console.

' _Please, sexy_ ,' I pleaded with the TARDIS. ' _We need to save the Doctor_.' She remained silent. I sighed and decided to go out for some fresh air. Jackie passed by me on her way into the TARIDS. I walked up to Mickey as he got out of his car.

"Sorry," he apologized.

I shook my head. "It's not your fault, Micky." I glanced at him. "I'm sorry about what Rose said earlier, about there being nothing left for her here. She doesn't realize that she's hurting you."

Mickey sighed. "I thought we had a thing, her and I. I guess not anymore." He shoved his hands into his pocket. We glanced up as Jackie came storming out of the TARDIS. "I guess I should go talk to her," Mickey said as he glanced at the TARDIS as Rose came out. I patted his back encouragingly. He walked up to Rose.

"There's got to be something else we can do," Mickey said to her.

Rose stared off into the distance. "Mum was right. Maybe we should just lock the door and walk away."

"I'm not having that," Mickey stated firmly. "I'm not having you just, just give up now. No way. We just need something stronger than my car. Something bigger. Something like that." Mickey pointed to a large yellow truck as it came around the corner. It stopped in front of the TARDIS and Jackie hopped out of the driver's seat.

"Right, you've only got this until six o'clock, so get on with it," Jackie said.

"Mum, where the heck did you get that from?" Rose asked, staring at the truck.

"Rodrigo," Jackie replied. "He owes me a favor. Never mind why," Jackie said before Rose could ask, "but you were right about your dad, sweetheart. He was full of mad ideas, and it's exactly what he would've done. Now, get on with it before I change my mind." She tossed the keys to Mickey who caught them.

Mickey attached another chain to the truck and the to the console. He hopped onto the driver's seat and stepped on the gas.

"Keep going!" Rose yelled.

"Put your foot down!" I heard Jackie tell Mickey.

"Faster!" Rose urged.

"Give it some more, Mickey!" Jackie yelled.

"Keep going!" Rose said, watching as the chain strained. I stood close to the console, wanting to make sure I was the one to take the Time Vortex. I wouldn't let Rose risk her life when she still had a family here. All I had was the Doctor.

"Come on, come on!" Jackie yelled.

"Keep going!" Rose repeated.

"Give it some more!" Jackie said. The console burst open and I stood in front of it, blocking Rose's view of the heart of the TARDIS.

"What are you doing?!" Rose asked.

"Sorry, Rose, but I can't let you risk you're life, not when I promised Jackie you would return to her," I replied. The golden light streamed into my eyes. The TARDIS doors slammed shut.

"Rose! Elena!" Mickey yelled as the TARDIS dematerialized. The Time Vortex continued to stream into my eyes as we flew. I was vaguely aware of Rose clinging to the other side of the console. The TARDIS landed back on Satellite Five. The light had stopped streaming into my eyes, which were now golden in color. I turned to Rose, who was staring at me. I could see everything. The past, present, and future. All of time and space was at my fingertips.

"Sorry, but I have to make sure you stay safe," I told her. She have me a confused look. I waved my hand and her eyes rolled up in her head and she collapsed, but I managed to catch her. I picked her up, the Time Vortex lending me strength. I placed her in the captain's chair and moved a piece of hair out of her face. Once I was satisfied that she was comfortable, I moved to the TARDIS doors.

I opened the doors, strands of the Time Vortex swirling around me. The Doctor shielded his eyes and stumbled back, tripping over one of the many wires strewn about the floor.

"What've you done?" The Doctor asked, horrified.

" _I looked into the TARDIS, and the TARDIS looked into me_ ," I told him, my voice sounding a bit different.

"You looked into the Time Vortex. Elena, no one's meant to see that," he said, blue eyes wide with worry.

" **This is the Abomination!** " The emperor Dalek stated from the screen.

" **Exterminate!** " One of the Daleks surrounding the Doctor said. It shot a beam at me, but I held up a hand and stopped it.

" _I am the Bad Wolf_ ," I said, though I wasn't really the one speaking. It was the Bad Wolf. " _I create myself. I take the words, I scatter them in time and space. A message to lead myself here._ " I waved my hand and the 'Bad Wolf' in 'Bad Wolf Corporation' floated away.

"Elena, you've got to stop this. You've got to stop this now. You've got the entire vortex running through your head. You're going to burn," the Doctor warned me desperately.

I snapped my head to look at him. "I want you safe. My Doctor," I said, my voice momentarily returning to normal as I spoke for the Bad Wolf. " _Protected from the false god_ ," Bad Wolf finished.

" **You cannot hurt me. I am immortal** ," the Dalek emperor claimed.

" _You are tiny_ ," Bad Wolf snapped. " _I can see the whole of time and space. Every single atom of your existence, and I divide them._ " I raised my hand and a Dalek disintegrated into gold dust. " _Everything must come to dust. All things. Everything dies. The Time War ends._ " I raised both my hands and the Dalek fleet disappeared.

" **I will not die. I cannot die!** " The Dalek Emperor yelled as it's fleet disintegrated into golden dust.

"Elena, you've done it. Now stop. Just let go," the Doctor urged.

" _How can I let go of this? I bring life._ " I reached out and found Jack. He gasped.

"But this is wrong! You can't control life and death," the Doctor protested.

" _But I can. The sun and the moon, the day and night. But why do they hurt?_ " I asked, a tear making its way down my cheek. My head hurt so much, unable to process the amount of power flowing through it.

"The power's going to kill you and it's my fault," the Doctor said solemnly, lowering his head.

" _It's not your fault,_ " I assured him. " _I chose this. This was always meant to happen._ " He stared at me. " _I can see everything,_ " I told him. " _All that is, all that was, all that ever could be._ "

The Doctor shot to his feet. "That's what I see. All the time. And doesn't it drive you mad?"

" _My head,_ " I complained, more tears sliding down my cheeks.

The Doctor grabbed my hands in his. "Come here," he said.

" _It's killing me_ ," I said.

"I think you need a Doctor," he said. He walked closer to me and leaned down. Our lips met and the Time Vortex streamed into his eyes. He pulled away and I looked up at him. I closed the distance between us again, willing myself to remember this moment. That small movement, however, cost me my remaining energy and I fainted into the Doctor's arms.

 **Third person POV**

The Doctor gently placed Elena on the ground before standing up straight. He took a deep breath and exhaled the Time Vortex. The golden energy flowed back into the TARDIS and the doors snapped shut. He staggered a bit and smiled fondly at the young girl at his feet. He knelt down beside her and stroked her cheek, making sure she was alright. Once satisfied, he picked her up bridal style and carried her into the TARDIS. The Doctor set Elena gently on the floor and stood up to check on Rose, who was still sleeping on the captain's chair.

 **Elena's POV**

I groaned as I woke up. I placed a hand to my head as I sat up. "What happened?" I asked the Doctor, who stood leaning on the console.

"Don't you remember?" He asked.

"I think so," I said, thinking hard. "Did I take in the Time Vortex, destroy the Daleks, and kiss you?"

"Course you would remember that part," the Doctor mumbled.

"Rose!" I exclaimed, suddenly remembering the blonde. I shot to my feet and wobbled slightly, feeling lightheaded from having stood up too quick.

"She's fine," he assured me as I rushed over to the sleeping blonde.

"Rose," I said, shaking her gently.

"Mmm. Five more minutes, mum," she muttered, trying to roll over.

I chuckled. "Rose, you're in the TARDIS and last time I checked, I was not Jackie."

She opened her eyes and sat up. "What happened?" She asked.

"What do you remember?" I inquired.

"Singing," she replied. "I remember hearing someone singing."

"That's right. I sang a song and the Daleks ran away," the Doctor said cheerfully. I glanced at him and noticed he was looking at his hand. I could see a faint golden glow.

' _No!_ ' I thought. He couldn't, not now.

The Doctor looked at Rose and I, a soft smile on his face. "Elena Jackson and Rose Tyler. I was going take you two to so many places. Barcelona. Not the city Barcelona, the planet Barcelona. You'd love it. Fantastic place," the Doctor said happily. "They've got dogs with no noses." He laughed. "Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny."

"Then, why can't we go?" Rose asked.

The Doctor stopped laughing. "Maybe you will, and maybe I will. But not like this."

"You're not making sense," Rose said.

"I might never make sense again. I might have two heads, or no head. Imagine me with no head," the Doctor laughed. "And don't say that's an improvement." He became serious again. "But it's a bit dodgy, this process. You never know what you're going to end up with." The Doctor doubled over in pain and Rose and I rushed forward to try and help.

"Doctor!" Rose cried in alarm.

"Stay away!" The Doctor ordered, gritting his teeth against the pain I knew I had caused.

"Doctor, tell me what's going on," Rose said worriedly.

"He absorbed the Time Vortex from me and now he's dying," I said, my voice trembling.

The Doctor nodded. "She's right as always. Every cell in my body's dying," he said, wincing. I stared at him sadly, wishing I could do something to help.

"Can't you do something?" Rose questioned.

"Yeah, I'm doing it now," the Doctor informed her. "Time Lords have this little trick, it's sort of a way of cheating death. Except..." He looked at us sadly, "it means I'm going to change, and I'm not going to see you two again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face." He chuckled, despite the amount of pain he was in. "And before I go."

I couldn't take it anymore. "Please don't say that," I pleaded, tears running down my cheeks.

"Elena," he said and I stopped talking, "before I go, I just want to tell you, you two were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic." Rose and I smiled at him. "And do you know what?" Rose shook her head while I just stared at him sadly. "So was I." He smiled at us. Rose smiled and I choked out a laugh. Then he threw his head back and his arms out as golden light burst from his head and hands. Rose staggered back, not having expected that. I stood in place, tears streaming down my cheeks as I watched the Doctor regenerate. As suddenly as the regeneration had started, it stopped. The Doctor stood straight, his now brown eyes wide.

"Hello," he greeted in a South London accent. "Okay. Ooo." He paused and ran a tongue over his teeth experimentally. "New teeth. That's weird. So, where was I?" He glanced at Rose and I. Rose was cowering behind one of the coral pillars, staring in disbelief at the man in front of her. I had not moved from my place and stood only a few feet from the new Doctor. "Oh, that's right. Barcelona." He grinned widely at us.

* * *

 **And there you have it. Season one is done. I hoped you liked it. I'm currently working on The School Reunion. The next chapter will be Born Again, so it will be short. If any of you readers are artists and at any point want to illustrate a scene from this story, please let me know. I would be happy to give you more details on a particular scene. Just make sure to give me credit and send me a link to the finished product because I would love to see it. Please continue to review as I love to hear what you guys have to say.**


	14. Born Again

**Hello readers! We made it! Season two! I hope you guys enjoyed season one.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, only my oc, but you guys knew that.**

* * *

The newly regenerated Doctor dashed to the console and flicked a few switches, checking the monitor.

"6 PM... Tuesday..." He mumbled, turning a dial. Rose watched him from her place behind a pillar. I still hadn't moved from my spot beside the console. "October... 5006... On the way to Barcelona!" He straightened up after flicking the last switch with a flourish. He grinned at us, looking pleased with himself. "Now then... what do I look like?" He asked, but didn't give either of us a chance to reply. He held up a hand to silence us. "No, no no, no no no no no no no. No. Don't tell me." I raised my eyebrows. "Let's see... two legs, two arms, two hands..." He paused, testing his wrist and glancing up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Slight weakness in the dorsal tubercle," he noted. I jumped slightly as his hands flew to his head. "Hair! I'm not bald!" He exclaimed excitedly. He ran his hands through his brown hair. "Oh, Oh! Big hair!" I stared at him, really wanting to run my own hands through his hair. His fingers moved to his sideburns. "Sideburns, I've got sideburns!" He grinned in delight. I chuckled lightly as his expression went from pure delight to slight concern. "Or really bad skin." He shrugged and moved on. "Little bit thinner..." He slapped his stomach. "That's weird. Give me time, I'll get used to it." He stopped and looked at me like he had just made the world's greatest discovery. "I... have got... a mole. I can feel it. Between my shoulder blades, there's a mole." He rotated his shoulders experimentally. "That's all right. Love the mole." He grinned widely at me. I glanced out of the corner of my eye to check on Rose. She was staring at the Doctor in utter disbelief. She was holding onto the pillar beside her for support. "Go on then, tell me." I turned my gaze back to the Doctor as he held his arms out to the side. "What do you think?"

I ran my eyes over his new body. He was a bit taller than his previous regeneration, around 6'1. He was slim with long arms and legs. His brown hair was short at the sides and spikey on top. It was currently ruffled from him running his hands through it. He now had chocolate brown eyes that were staring at me expectantly. I slowly approached him. He tilted his head, eyeing me curiously. I stopped right in front of him and looked up into his warm brown eyes. I shifted my gaze to his ruffled hair. Reaching up, I started running my hands through his hair. The Doctor smiled at me as I fixed his hair. Once satisfied, I let my arms fall back to my side.

"Sorry," I apologized sheepishly, blushing. "I've always wanted to do that." I look him over once more. "So, this is the new you then?"

"Yup," he replied, popping the 'p'.

"I like it," I decided. He grinned happily. We both turned to Rose, who was still hiding behind the pillar.

"What do you think?" He asked again.

"Who are you?" She asked timidly.

The smile slide from the Doctor's face. "I'm the Doctor," he replied, somewhat surprised.

Rose shook her head. "No... Where is he? Where's the Doctor? What have you done to him?!" She said, her voice rising as she stepped out from her hiding spot.

"You saw me, I, I changed..." The Doctor said, gesturing over his shoulder to the spot where he had regenerated. "... right in front of you," he finished, confused as to why Rose didn't believe he was the Doctor. I placed a comforting hand on his arm.

Rose stepped a bit further from her hiding spot. "I saw him sort of explode, and then you replaced him, like a... a teleport or a transmat or a body swap or something," she replied, sounding unsure. The Doctor stared at her, unsure how to react. He seemed to be at a loss for words, not knowing how to convince his blonde companion. Rose took a couple steps forward and pushed the Doctor in the chest. "You're not fooling me," she told him firmly. The Doctor rocked back on his heels, not taking his eyes off Rose.

"He's not trying to fool you, Rose," I assured her gently. "It's really him." She ignored me and glared at the Doctor.

"I've seen all sorts of things. Nanogenes... Gelth..." She said. Her expression darkened. "Slitheen..." The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "Oh, my gosh, are you a Slitheen?" She asked nervously.

"I'm not a Slitheen," the Doctor answered calmly. I didn't know how he kept so calm when his companion was accusing him of being a Slitheen.

"Send him back. I'm warning you, send the Doctor back right now!" Rose shouted.

"Rose," I said softly. While I knew this was hard for her comprehend, she did just see him change.

"Rose, it's me," the Doctor pleaded, leaning forward slightly, desperate for her to believe him. "Honestly, it's me." Rose stared at the Doctor, practically on the verge of hyperventilating. "I was dying. To save my own life I changed my body. Every single cell, but... it's still me," he assured her, speaking softly so as not to startle her.

"You can't be," Rose insisted quietly. I gave her a sympathetic look. The Doctor really needed to stop letting his companions know about his regeneration at the last minute.

The Doctor took a few steps towards her. "Then how could I remember this? Very first word I ever said to you. Trapped in that cellar. Surrounded by shop window dummies... oh..." The Doctor paused, looking away for a moment as he recalled the day he and I met her. I watched as he returned his gaze to Rose. "such a long time ago. I took your hand..." The Doctor took Rose's. Rose glanced down at their joined hands briefly before looking back up at him. I tried not to feel jealous as they held hands.

' _He's just trying to convince her that he's really the Doctor_ ,' I assured myself. ' _Besides, he and I aren't together, so why should I care that they're holding hands? Not to mention, he has a hand holding fetish._ '

"I said one word..." The Doctor continued, "just one word, I said... 'Run'." He gazed at Rose, silently hoping that he had finally convinced her.

Rose stared at him in disbelief. I watched as there was a spark of recognition in her eyes and I allowed a small smile. "Doctor," she whispered, barely audible.

The Doctor grinned. "Hello," he greeted gently. Rose sighed exasperatedly and stumbled back a couple steps as the realization of what happened finally hit her. The Doctor didn't seem to notice as he bounded to the other side of the console. "And we never stopped, did we? All across the universe. Running, running, running..." He said, flicking switches on the console enthusiastically. I followed him with my eyes. "One time we had to hop. Do you remember? Hopping for our lives." I chuckled as he began hopping up and down on the spot, grinning madly. "Yeah? All that hopping? Elena, you remember? Remember hopping for your life?" I couldn't hold it in anymore. The sight of him hopping up and down, still wearing his previous regeneration's clothes that were now too big for him was too much. I busted out laughing. I placed a hand on the console to keep myself from falling over as I laughed. If it was possible, the Doctor grinned even wider. "Yeah?! Hop? With the..." He trailed off as he returned his gaze to Rose, hoping she would join in the fun, only to find that she was leaning against the pillar simply staring at him. He stopped hopping and I quieted down. "No?" He asked in disappointment.

"Can you change back?" Rose asked quietly.

"Rose," I warned.

The Doctor clasped his hands behind his back. "Do you want me to?" The Doctor asked.

"Yeah," Rose answered.

The Doctor did his best to hide his shock. "Oh."

"Can you?" Rose asked hopefully.

"Rose," I scolded softly. I knew that she was still in shock, but she was being a bit inconsiderate.

"No," he replied flatly. All previous excitement was gone as he glanced briefly down at the floor. "Do you want to leave?"

Rose's eyes widened, as if she wasn't expecting that answer. "Do you want me to leave?" She asked apprehensively.

"No!" He replied hastily. "But... your choice... if you want to go home..." He trailed off. He went to the console and started flicking switches again. "Cancel Barcelona. Change to... London... the Powell Estate... ah... let's say the 24th of December." He glanced at Rose who had come up beside him. "Consider it a Christmas present. There." He pressed a button and stepped backed, tucking his hands under his armpits in a defensive manner. I stepped up beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder blade in an effort to comfort him. The TARDIS shuddered as she changed directions.

Rose glanced back and forth between the Doctor and the console. "I'm going home?" She asked in confused disappointment.

The Doctor shrugged. "Up to you. Back to your mum... it's all waiting. Fish and chips, sausage and mash, beans on toast... no, Christmas! Turkey!" He corrected himself. "Although... having met your mother... nut loaf would be more appropriate." Rose looked down at the console, attempting to hide a smile unsuccessfully.

"Was that a smile?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rose shook her head. "No."

"That was a smile..." The Doctor said knowingly.

"No it wasn't," Rose denied, trying very hard to hide her smile.

"You smiled..." I teased as the Doctor and I grinned.

"No I didn't," Rose insisted, refusing to make eye contact with either one of us.

"Oh, come on, all I did was change, I didn't..." The Doctor suddenly gagged and the TARDIS shuddered again. Rose and I looked at him, Rose with a questioning gaze and me in concern.

"What?" Rose asked, confused.

"I said I didn't..." The Doctor tried again, but gagged once again. The TARDIS shook once more, this time more violently. The Doctor made horrible retching noises. "Uh oh," he muttered, his eyes widening.

Rose edged closer. "Er... are you alright?" She asked cautiously. The Doctor didn't reply, but opened his mouth and exhaled a golden cloud. "What's that?"

"Leftover regeneration energy," I replied, ready to catch the Doctor should he collapse.

"Oh... the change is going a bit wrong and all," he dismissed. He gagged again and collapsed to his knees, his face contorted in pain. I quickly placed my hands on his shoulders to steady him. I eyed him with concern.

"Look... maybe we should go back. Let's go and find Captain Jack, he'd know what to do," Rose suggested.

"Gah, he's busy! He's got plenty to do rebuilding the Earth!" The Doctor snapped impatiently, cutting off my reply. A lever on the console caught his eye. "I haven't used this one in years."

"Doctor, don't!" I tried to stop him, but it was too late. He flicked the switched and the TARDIS shuddered violently, nearly knocking us all to the ground.

"What're you doing?!" I yelled at him, grabbing onto the console.

"Putting on a bit of speed!" He replied, grinning madly. "That's it!" He turned more knobs while Rose and I adjusted our grips on the console. "My beautiful ship! Come on, faster! That's a girl!" The Doctor moved around the console with a crazed expression on his face. "Faster! Wanna to break the time limit?!"

"Doctor, stop it!" I yelled at him, both angry and terrified.

"Ah, don't be so dull... let's have a bit of fun!" He replied rudely. "Let's rip through that vortex!" He made eye contact with me and he seemed to calm down slightly. "The regeneration's going wrong. I can't stop myself," he said softly, looking apologetic. He doubled over as he grimaced in pain. "Ah, my head..." He said in a strained voice. Rose and I jumped as he sprang back up, his crazed expression back. "Faster! Let's open those engines!" I glanced around in alarm at the sound of the cloister bell.

"What's that?" Rose asked, frightened. She jumped as the Doctor's face appeared next to her.

"We're gonna crash land!" He grinned in delight. He sprang away and laughed manically. I tried flicking some switches in an attempt to slow our fall.

"Well then, do something!" Rose snapped, shouting to be heard above the bell.

"Too late! Out of control!" The Doctor said, his voice rising hysterically. He ran around the console, giggling. "Oh, I love it! Hot dawg!" He hopped in the air in his excitement.

"You're gonna kill us!" I yelled, still pressing buttons and flicking switches frantically

"Hold on tight, here we go!" The Doctor grinned. I looked up and our eyes met across the console. I stared at him, scared. "Christmas Eve...!" He grinned at me madly.

* * *

 **Well, there you go. Please review and let me know what you guys think.**


	15. Christmas Invasion

**Hello readers! I'm very sorry for the delay. My iPad was being a pill about posting this chapter. Anyway, here is the beginning of the second season.**

* * *

We all toppled to the ground as we crash landed. The Doctor didn't waist any time, jumping to his feet and dashing out the door. I groaned in frustration. I sat up and rubbed my head where I had smacked it against the grating.

 **"** Come on," I grumbled to Rose as she got to her feet. "We better go get him before he makes an even bigger fool of himself." I jogged to the door and opened it just in time to see the Doctor collapse. Mickey set him on the ground. I knelt beside the Doctor and pulled his head into my lap. A moment later Rose opened the door and stepped out.

"What happened? Is he all right?" She asked in concern.

Mickey shrugged. "I don't know, he just keeled over. But who is he? Where's the Doctor?"

"That's him, right in front of you," Rose nodded to the Time Lord as I stroked the side of his face gently. "That's the Doctor."

"What do you mean, that's the Doctor? Doctor who?" Jackie asked. I managed a small smile as she said the thing.

"He regenerated, Jackie. I'll explain later," I said, glancing up. "Right now we need to get him inside. Mickey, Rose, could you help me?" Rose grabbed one arm while I grabbed the other and Mickey grabbed his legs. Together, we lifted the unconscious Time Lord and hauled him to the Tyler's flat. He was heavier than he looked, but we managed to get him up the stairs and into the flat. We hauled him into Rose's bedroom and laid him on the bed. Jackie came back with a set of men's pajamas and we left the room as Mickey changed him.

After the Doctor was dressed again, I asked Jackie if she could get a stethoscope. She nodded and left to go locate one. I sat on the bed next to the Doctor. I held his hand and rubbed my thumb gently over his knuckles. I gazed at him softly.

"You love him, don't you?" Rose asked. I turned to look at her, not letting go of the Doctor's hand.

"What makes you say that?" I questioned.

"The way you act around him," she said. "You two seem very close."

"We're just friends, Rose," I replied.

"The way you look him, though," she noted.

"Okay, I like him," I conceded, "but it's nothing more than a simple crush."

Rose shook her head. "No, it's more than that. You're happier around him. I've seen the way you are when he compliments you. You practically glow with happiness. And then there's all the blushing you do around him."

"I..." I stuttered. I was unsure how to respond. I had noticed that I blushed around him a lot. Apparently I wasn't the only one to notice.

"And what about the fact that you glare at any woman who flirts with him?" Rose inquired, crossing her arms and raising and eyebrow.

"I can explain that," I said, shifting nervously.

"Yeah, it's called being jealous," she said.

"What do I have to be jealous about?" I asked.

"Exactly," Rose retorted. "If it was a simple crush, you wouldn't get jealous, but you do. My conclusion...you're in love."

I sat on the bed and stared at her. I had stopped rubbing my thumb across the Doctor's knuckles. Could she be right? Was what I felt for the Doctor more than a simple crush? I thought about the way the Doctor made me feel. The way my heart fluttered when he smiled at me. The way I got butterflies in my stomach whenever he complimented me. The way my heart pounded in my chest whenever he kissed my forehead. The way he seemed to brighten my day simply by walking into the room. I wasn't sure. This was the first time I had ever felt like this towards anyone.

"I-I," I stuttered. Rose gazed at me with raised eyebrows, waiting patiently for my answer. I shifted my gaze to the Doctor again. I sighed and closed my eyes. I opened them again and looked at Rose. "Yes."

"What?" She asked, sounding surprised that I hadn't denied her claims.

"Yes," I repeated softly. "I think I love him." Rose grinned. "But he can't know."

"Why?" She asked, confused.

"Cause this is a new feeling for me," I sighed, shifting my gaze back to the Doctor. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully. "I've never loved anyone before, besides my family of course," I added. "Plus I'm afraid he won't feel the same way." I closed my eyes sadly, bringing my free hand to my chest and stroking the fob watch necklace that hung there. "Not to mention I'm human and he's a Time Lord. Time Lords have much longer lifespans than humans do, so even if he did feel the same, a relationship wouldn't work anyway." I opened my eyes again and dropped my hand from my necklace. "I'm better off as a simple companion."

Rose opened her mouth to say something, but stopped at the sound of her mother coming back. "Here we go," Jackie said as she came into the room, unaware of the conversation that that had just taken place. She sat down on the bed next to me and handed me the stethoscope. "Tina the cleaner's got this lodger, a medical student, and she was fast asleep, so I just took it. Though I still say we should take him to hospital." She turned her gaze to the Doctor, eyeing him in concern.

"I already told you we can't," I told Jackie softly. "They would wind up dissecting him or using him for experiments or something." Jackie went to protest, but I cut her off. "No," I said firmly. She closed her mouth. I stuck the earpieces of the stethoscope in my ears and placed the other end on the left side of the Doctor's chest. I heard the distinct sound of his first heart and moved the stethoscope to the right side of his chest. I nodded in satisfaction when I heard the sound of his second heart beating away strongly.

"Both working?" Rose asked. I nodded.

"What do you mean, both?" Jack inquired with a confused expression.

"He's got two hearts," I told her, placing the stethoscope on the bedside table.

"Oh, don't be stupid," Jackie scoffed.

"He has," Rose insisted.

Jackie eyed the Doctor. "Anything else he's got two of?"

"Leave him alone," Rose snapped as she left the room. Jackie held up her hands in surrender and tiptoed out of the room. I sighed and shook my head. I turned at the sound of the Doctor taking a deep breath. He exhaled more excess regeneration energy. I watched as the golden cloud floated away and out the window. I turned my gaze back to the Doctor.

"Please get better," I whispered. I leaned forward and kissed his forehead. I adjusted my position and laid down next to the Doctor. I curled up and closed my eyes, letting the exhaustion from the last adventure overtake me.

 **Third person POV**

The Doctor's face scrunched up in his sleep, as if he had smelt something bad. He muttered something incomprehensible and shifted his right hand, as if searching for something. His hand came into contact with Elena's left hand. He closed his right over her left and sighed contentedly. Elena shifted herself closer to the Doctor, curling into his side as she slept. She let out a deep sigh of contentment, closing her fingers over the Doctor's right hand.

 **Elena's POV**

I awoke to the sound of a door slamming. I sat up and blinked tiredly. I could hear the sound of Rose talking hurriedly about something. I got out of the bed and went to see what the problem was.

"Well, we'll go to cousin Mo's then," Rose decided as I walked up, rubbing sleep out of my eyes.

"No, it's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! What're you babbling about?" Jackie asked Rose in annoyance.

"What's going on?" I inquired, yawning.

Rose was about to answer when she noticed the Christmas tree standing in the corner of the living room. "Mum. Where'd you get that tree?" Rose questioned apprehensively. "That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?"

"I thought it was you," Jackie replied.

"How can it be me?" Rose asked.

Jackie shrugged. "Well, you went shopping. There was a ring at the door, and there it was!"

Rose shook her head, eyeing the tree. "No, that wasn't me."

"Then who was it?" Jackie wondered, glancing back at the tree. As we stared at it, the tree light up on its own and started playing _Jingle Bells_.

"Oh, you're kidding me," Rose muttered. The sections of the tree started to rotate in different directions, creating a strong wind. It moved forward and began chopping through the coffee table. My eyes widened, now fully awake.

"Get out! Go, go! Get out!" Mickey shouted at us. He picked up a chair to fend of the spinning tree. I bolted back into the Doctor's room, Rose at my heels.

"Sonic!" I muttered to myself. I ran to the Doctor's leather jacket, which hung on the wall by the door.

"We've got to save the Doctor!" Rose shouted.

"What're you doing?" Jackie yelled, standing in the doorway.

"We can't just leave him!" Rose snapped. I shoved my hand into the Doctor's inner jacket pocket, searching desperately for the sonic.

"Mickey!" Jackie shouted. "Leave it! Get out! Get out!"

"Mickey!" Rose yelled for her boyfriend.

"Get out of there!" Jackie shouted at Mickey. He came running into the bedroom. "No, leave him. Just leave him!" Jackie yelled to Rose, who was trying to pull the Doctor out of the bed. Unfortunately, his limp body made it too difficult for her to do it alone.

"Where is it?" I muttered irritably, still searching the jacket's seemingly endless pocket.

"Get in here!" Mickey shouted at Jackie, who was still standing in the doorway. Jackie cried out in alarm as the tree made its way towards her and she bolted inside the bedroom. She and Mickey pulled a wardrobe in front of the door.

"Doctor, wake up!" Rose pleaded desperately with the sleeping Time Lord. The wardrobe started shaking and Jackie and Mickie pressed their weight against it.

"Found it!" I cried triumphantly, holding up the sonic screwdriver.

"Use it!" Rose shouted.

"I'm trying!" I shouted back. I fiddled with the sonic, my shaking hands making it difficult. The tree smashed through the door, knocking everyone back. I fell back onto the bed.

"I'm going to get killed by a Christmas tree!" Jackie screamed, cowering by the wall. I held out the sonic, pointing it at the killer Christmas tree. I pressed the button and the sonic sputtered. Panicking, I tried a different setting and pressed the button again. I got the same result. The tree continued to move closer to me and I leaned back instinctively, still pressing the button on the sonic.

' _I'm sorry, Doctor,_ ' I thought in despair as the killer tree spun closer. Suddenly, a warm hand enclosed my own and I felt something press against my back. The person pressed his thumb on the sonic's button and the tree exploded. I flinched at the sound of the tree exploding. I turned my head to look behind me and was met with the Doctor's chocolate colored eyes.

"You alright?" He asked gently, looking at me in concern. I nodded, blushing at our close proximity. He turned his gaze back to the smoking remains of the killer tree. "Remote control. But who's controlling it?" He wondered. He stood up, holding onto my arms so as not to knock me over. He strode out the door, grabbing a dressing gown on the way.

Rose, Mickey, Jackie, and I followed the Doctor out of the flat and stopped at the railing. Three Santas, one holding a remote control, stood in the street below us.

"That's them. What are they?" Mickey asked.

"Shush!" Rose scolded, her eyes trained on the Doctor. I stood close to the Doctor, gripping his left hand tightly as I stared at the Santas nervously. The Doctor glowered at the Santas and aimed his sonic screwdriver at them. They backed away and were beamed away.

"They've just gone. What kind of rubbish were they?" Mickey scoffed, looking the way the Santa's had gone. "I mean, no offense, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver's going to scare them off."

"Pilot fish," I answered, before the Doctor could.

"What?" Rose asked.

"They were just pilot fish," the Doctor said, looking thoughtful for a moment before gagging and stumbling back against the wall. I quickly knelt beside him, gripping his shoulder to keep him steady as he groaned in pain.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked, her voiced laced with concern.

"We woke him up too soon," I explained, rubbing the Doctor's back soothingly.

The Doctor nodded. "I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy." As if to emphasize the point, he exhaled another golden cloud. "You see? The pilot fish could smell it a million miles away. So they eliminate the defense, that's you lot, and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of- ow!" The Doctor cried out in pain as he threw himself to the other side of the balcony.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Jackie exclaimed. Mickey grabbed hold of the Doctor's right shoulder while I grabbed his left.

"My head!" The Doctor groaned, clamping his eyes shut and gritting his teeth against the pain. "I'm having a neuron implosion. I need-" He tried, but Jackie cut him off.

"What do you need?" She asked quickly, grabbing the front of his dressing gown.

"I need-" The Doctor tried again, but was once again cut off.

"Say it. Tell me, tell me, tell me."

"I need-"

"Painkillers?"

"I need-"

"Do you need aspirin?"

The Doctor was getting frustrated and was breathing heavily. "I need-"

"Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I don't know, Pepto-Bismol?"

"I need-"

"Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?"

"I need-"

"Is it food? Something simple. Bowl of soup. A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?!"

"I need you to shut up," the Doctor snapped, finally managing to finish his sentence. I would have thought the whole exchange was funny if I weren't so worried about the Doctor.

"Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?" Jackie commented, glancing at me.

I shook my head and allowed a small smile. "Not really." The Doctor cried out in pain again and threw himself to the opposite wall. He leaned heavily against it, breathing hard.

"We haven't got much time," he said, grimacing. "If there's pilot fish, then..." He paused as he stuck his hands in his dressing gown pockets. He pulled out a green apple and stared at it in confusion. "Why's there an apple in my dressing gown?"

"Oh, that's Howard. Sorry," Jackie apologized.

"He keeps apples in his dressing gown?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jackie shrugged. "He gets hungry."

"What, he gets hungry in his sleep?" The Doctor asked, glancing between the apple and Jackie.

Jackie shrugged again. "Sometimes."

The Doctor cried out again and sunk to the ground, dropping the apple. "Argh! Brain collapsing," he groaned through gritted teeth. He turned to me as I crouched next to him. He grabbed my arms tightly. "The pilot fish. The pilot fish mean that something..." He struggled to speak through the pain.

"Something is coming, I know," I finished softly, staring at him worriedly. He nodded and then passed out in my lap. "Oh, Doctor," I whispered sorrowfully, stroking his face.

Mickey helped me carry the unconscious Doctor back into the bedroom. The Doctor was restless, muttering incomprehensibly. Rose handed me a wash cloth and I mopped the Doctor's sweaty brow as I knelt next to him on the bed. Mickey passed by the bedroom with a laptop tucked under his arm and glanced at me, a concerned look on his face. I grabbed the stethoscope from the bedside table and placed it on the Doctor's chest. My heart sank as I heard only one of his two hearts beating. It wasn't a normal paced beat either as his working heart had to speed up to compensate for the loss of its partner. I sighed sadly as I gazed at the suffering Time Lord. I knew he needed something, but I, for the life of me, couldn't remember what it was. I didn't seem able to remember some of the details of this adventure, such as the killer Christmas tree. I mean, I knew that everything turned out alright in the show back in the other universe, but in this universe it was real. Who knows what could change since I'm here. I had a suspicion that my memory loss had something to do with Bad Wolf. I looked up as Jackie came into the room with a mug. She handed it to me and I smiled gratefully.

"Any change?" She asked as I sipped the tea she had brought me.

I shook my head. "He's worse. Just one heart beating," I replied sadly. She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and squeezed before leaving.

"Elena, come out here for a moment," Mickey called from the living room. I sighed again and stood up. I placed a gentle kiss to the Doctor's forehead before going to see what Mickey wanted. "Here we go, pilot fish," he said as I walked up behind him. Rose stood on his other side as all three of us examined the laptop screen. "Scavengers, like the Doctor said. Harmless. They're tiny. But the point is, the little fish swim alongside the big fish."

"Do you mean like sharks?" Rose asked.

"Great big sharks," Mickey confirmed. "So, what the Doctor means is, we had them, now we get that." I jumped slightly as an animated shark swam by on the screen.

"Something is coming," Rose mumbled, recalling what I had said earlier. "How close?"

"There's no way of telling, but the pilot fish don't swim far from their daddy."

"So, it's close?" Rose guessed.

"Funny sort of rocks," Jackie commented. We turned around to look at the tv.

" **The first photographs** ," a newsreader said as an image began to appear.

"Those aren't rocks," I muttered, staring at the fuzzy image on the screen.

" **This image is being transmitted via mission control, coming live from the depths of space on Christmas morning**." We all cried out in alarm and jumped back from the screen as an alien appeared on the tv and roared loudly.

" **The face of an alien life form was transmitted live tonight on BBC1** ," a British newsreader said.

" **On the 25th of December, the human race has been shown absolute proof that alien life exists** ," an American newsreader stated.

" **These remarkable images have been relayed right across the world,** " another newsreader reported.

"Rose, Elena. Take a look. I've got access to the military. They're tracking a spaceship. It's big, it's fast, and it's coming this way," Mickey said. I stood up from my place on the couch, tossing the remote control onto the cushions.

"Coming for what, though? The Doctor?" Rose asked.

"I don't know. Maybe it's coming for all of us," Mickey suggested. We stared at the picture of the aliens. "Have you seen them before?" Mickey asked.

"No," Rose replied, biting her nails nervously. "You?" She asked me.

I shook my head. "No, but I know what they are. They are called Sycorax." We watched the screen as the Sycorax gave Earth a message. Unfortunately, the TARDIS wasn't translating for us, and I knew why.

"I don't understand what they're saying," Rose muttered. "The TARDIS translates alien languages inside my head, all the time, wherever I am."

"So, why isn't it doing it now?" Mickey asked.

"She's connected to the Doctor," I answered, staring at the Sycorax on the tv. "She won't translate because the Doctor is sick and currently in a healing coma." I turned around, trying to keep from crying. "And you're right, Mickey, its not the Doctor they want. They've come for us. They want to enslave the entire human race."

"And the Doctor can't save us," Rose murmured quietly, but I still heard her. I didn't turn around as a single tear slid down my cheek.

"I'm going to check on the Doctor," I excused myself, quickly wiping away the tear. I headed back to the Doctor's room and sat down on the bed next to him. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I placed my head on the Doctor's chest and let the tears fall. "It's my fault. It's all my fault," I sobbed, my head buried in my arms as I cried into the Doctor's chest. "You had to regenerate and now you're in a healing coma and it's my fault. None of this would have happened if I had just let go of the Time Vortex." I continued to sob until I fell asleep, my head still on the Doctor's chest.

I woke to the sound of Rose's voice. I kept my eyes closed as I listened. "The Doctor wouldn't do this. The old Doctor, the proper Doctor, he'd wake up. He'd save us," she said quietly.

"You really love him, don't you?" Mickey said sadly. My heart stopped. What would she say? In the show she had fallen in love with the Doctor, but I hadn't really seen any evidence of it in our travels.

"I thought I did for a while," she replied. "But I saw how he acted around Elena. How he seemed to care so much for her. I knew I didn't stand a chance." I was surprised to hear no hint of jealousy in her voice. It went quiet and I fell back asleep.

I woke up again to hear Rose crying. "He's gone. The Doctor's gone. He's left me, mum. He's left me, mum," Rose sobbed. I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

"It's all right. I'm sorry," Jackie said softly, hugging her daughter and rubbing her back soothingly. Suddenly, all the windows shattered. I quickly covered the Doctor with my body to protect him from the falling glass shards. I sat up carefully, glass shards sliding off my head. I got up and followed Rose and Mickey outside. We stared at the sky as a huge spaceship resembling a rock, glided overhead. Rose darted back inside, Mickey and I glancing at each other before following.

Rose ran into the Doctor's bedroom and grabbed his dressing gown. "Mickey, Elena, we're going to carry him," she ordered. I nodded and ran over to help her get the Doctor into the dressing gown. "Mum, get your stuff, and get some food. We're going."

"Where to? " Mickey asked.

"The TARDIS," I answered for Rose. "It's the only safe place on Earth."

"What're we going to do in there?" Jackie asked.

"Hide," Rose stated.

"Is that it?"

"Mum, look in the sky," Rose snapped, gesturing out the broken window. "There's a great, big, alien invasion and I don't know what to do, all right? I've traveled with him, and I've seen all that stuff, but when I'm stuck at home, I'm useless. Now, all we can do is run and hide, and I'm sorry. Now, move. Oh, lift him up." Rose and I each grabbed one of the Doctor's arms and Mickey grabbed his legs. We carried the Doctor out of the flat. Jackie followed us, struggling to carry several bags filled with food. She dropped one of the bags and bent to pick it up.

"Mum, will you just leave that stuff and give us a hand?" Rose snapped.

"It's food!" Jackie protested. "You said we need food."

"There's food in the TARDIS, Jackie," I groaned, struggling with the Doctor's dead weight.

We finally made it down the stairs and into the TARDIS, Jackie following closely behind us. We set the Doctor down on the grating gently and I stood up and stretched, popping by back.

"No chance either of you could fly this thing?" Mickey asked. I shook my head as I sat beside the Doctor, pulling his head into my lap.

"Not anymore, no," Rose replied.

"Well, you did it before," Mickey pointed out.

"I know, but it's sort of been wiped out of my head, like it's forbidden," Rose explained. "Try that again and I think the Universe rips in half."

"Ah, better not, then," Mickey decided.

"Maybe not," Rose said, annoyed.

"So, what do we do? Just sit here?" Mickey asked.

"That's as good as it gets," Rose replied irritably, throwing a hand up and letting it smack against her leg.

"Right, here we go. Nice cup of tea," Jackie said, pouring a cup from a thermos.

"Mmm, the solution to everything," Rose muttered sarcastically.

"Now, stop your moaning," Jackie scolded, handing the cup and thermos to Mickey. "I'll get the rest of the food." She ran out of the TARDIS. I played with the Doctor's hair absentmindedly.

"Tea. Like we're having a picnic while the world comes to an end. Very British," Mickey chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. He looked around the console room and spotted the desktop screen and walked over to it. "How does this thing work? If it picks up TV, maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered. What do you do to it?"

Rose wandered over. "I don't know. It sort of tunes itself." She pressed a few buttons and the monitor beeped. I would have protested, but we needed to get on to the Sycorax ship to save the planet. I also remembered that the Doctor would wake up once we got there, but I couldn't remember what caused him to wake. I frowned in frustration as I continued to play with the Doctor's hair.

"Maybe it's a distress signal," Mickey suggested as he and Rose watched the screen.

"A fat lot of good that's going to do," Rose muttered.

"Are you going to be a misery all the time?" Mickey asked her.

"Yes," she replied.

"You should look at it from my point of view, stuck in here with your mum's cooking," Mickey joked. I glanced around, wondering where Jackie had gotten to.

"Speaking of which, where is your mom?" I asked Rose.

She shrugged. "Don't know. I'd better give her a hand. It might start raining missiles out there." Rose walked to the TARDIS doors.

"Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine," Mickey called.

"Why don't you tell her yourself?" Rose suggested.

"I'm not that brave."

"Oh, I don't know." Rose smiled flirtatiously. She exited the TARDIS. My head shot up as I heard Rose scream.

"Rose?!" Mickey called in concern. He dropped the thermos and ran out. I carefully took the Doctor's head off my lap and ran after Mickey. I nearly smacked into Mickey as he had stopped right outside the door. We stared wide eyed at the chamber we had wound up in.

"The door! Close the door!" Rose yelled as she was dragged away by a Sycorax guard. I quickly turned and pulled the door shut as two more guards grabbed Mickey and I.

"Elena! Rose!" Harriet Jones called in surprise. Rose and I were thrown into her arms and she caught us in a tight hug. "I've got you. My goodness. Oh, my precious things. The Doctor, is he with you?" She asked.

"Yes, but he's indisposed at the moment," I told her quietly. "We need to buy him some time." Rose and I let go of Harriet and stared in awe at the chamber full of Sycorax. The Sycorax leader said something in his language.

"The pink and yellow girls. They have the clever blue box. Therefore, they speak for your planet," Harriet's right hand man, Alex, translated.

"But they can't," Harriet protested.

"Yeah, we can," Rose insisted.

"Don't you dare," Mickey warned.

I held out my arm to stop Rose from walking forward. "I'll take care of this," I told her.

"You sure?" She asked.

I nodded. "I've got to buy the Doctor some time," I said, walking forward.

"They'll kill you," Harriet insisted, grabbing my arm.

I gently took her hand off my arm. "I'll be fine," I assured her. I turned my gaze to the Sycorax. "I address the Sycorax according to Article Fifteen of the Shadow Proclamation. This is an established level 5 planet. I order you to leave this planet and its inhabitants in peace," I said firmly, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt. The Sycorax burst into laughter.

The Sycorax leader said something and Alex translated. "You are very, very funny. And now you're going to die." Harriet, Mickey, and Rose tried to rush forward, but were held back by the Sycorax guards.

"Leave her alone!" Harriet shouted.

"Don't touch her!" Mickey demanded.

"Leave her alone, she hasn't done anything to you!" Rose yelled. The leader walked up to me.

"Did you think you were clever with your stolen words?" Alex translated as the Sycorax leader spoke. "We are the Sycorax, we stride the darkness." The Sycorax leader circled around me and hissed, causing me to flinch away. "Next to us you are but a wailing child. If you are the best your planet can offer as a champion.."

"Then your world will be gutted," the Sycorax leader said, now speaking English.

"Then your world will be gutted," Alex read from the translator.

"And your people enslaved," the Sycorax leader continued in English.

Alex paused in his translation. "Hold on, that's English," he noticed.

"He's talking English," Harriet repeated louder.

"You're talking English," I told the Sycorax leader, a smirk appearing on my face.

"I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive bile," the leader snapped.

"Mmm, I may not be a language expert, but that sounds like English to me. Can you guys hear English?" I asked, turning to the group behind me.

"Yeah, that's English," Mickey confirmed.

"Definitely English," Alex agreed.

"I speak only Sycoraxic!" The leader shouted.

"Be that as it may, we hear English. So if you only speak Sycoraxic and we are hearing English, then that means it's being translated," I mused, slowly backing up. "Which can only mean one thing..." I trailed off and looked back at the TARDIS expectantly. Everyone else followed my lead. Both doors opened to reveal a grinning tenth Doctor.

"Did you miss me?" He asked. A wide grin spread across my face. The Sycorax leader snarled and cracked the electrified whip he held at the Doctor. The Doctor caught it and tugged it out of the leader's hand. "You could have someone's eye out with that," the Doctor scolded.

"How dare!" The Sycorax leader growled and raised his club. The Doctor walked up to him and grabbed the club. He snapped it in half on his knee and tossed it aside.

"You just can't get the staff. Now, you, just wait," the Doctor ordered, pointing a finger warningly at the Sycorax leader. "I'm busy." He walked over to our small group and grinned. "Mickey, hello! And Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North. Blimey, it's like This Is Your Life. "Tea!" The Doctor said cheerfully. I nearly face palmed. That's what the Doctor needed! "That's all I needed, a good cup of tea! Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing the synapses." He turned serious and looked at me, leaning down slightly because of my lack of height. "Now, first thing's first. Be honest, how do I look?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we go through this already?" I asked.

"Yes, but I just want to make sure you're opinion hasn't changed," he replied.

I smiled in amusement. "Different," I said.

He cocked an eyebrow and I nearly swooned. "Good different or bad different?"

I looked him over. "Definitely a good different," I smirked. "And no, you're not ginger."

"I wanted to be ginger," the Doctor whined. "I've never been ginger. And you, Rose Tyler," he pointed a finger accusingly at the blonde, "fat lot of good you were. You gave up on me. Oh, that's rude. That's the sort of man I am now, am I? Rude."

"Well, that never changes," I giggled.

The Doctor frowned "Rude and not ginger."

"I'm sorry. Who is this?" Harriet asked, looking between the Doctor and I.

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor said.

"He's the Doctor," I confirmed.

"But what happened to my Doctor? Or is it a title that's just passed on?" Harriet inquired.

"I'm him. I'm literally him. Same man, new face. Well, new everything," the Doctor said, walking up to Harriet.

"But you can't be," Harriet insisted.

"Harriet Jones, we were trapped in Downing Street and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens, it wasn't the war, it was the thought of your mother being on her own," the Doctor told her.

"Oh, my gosh," Harriet gasped.

The Doctor smiled and leaned down. "Did you win the election?"

Harriet grinned. "Landslide majority."

"Oh fantastic," the Doctor grinned. His smile switched to a thoughtful frown. "No, hold on. Fantas...fantas...fantas...f-f-f," he tried, pacing around. I watched him with raised eyebrows. He turned to me with a pout. "I can't say it anymore. It doesn't fit the teeth. Oh, I like that word. What am I going to say now?" I smiled in amusement. He sounded like a child. "Brilliant? Brilliant. Brilliant!" He tried before shaking his head. "No...Excellent! Oh, that's-that's excellent! Nah...That's superb. Marvelous. Umm..." Everyone but me was staring at the Doctor in confusion as he tried to find a new catch phrase. "Molte bene. Oh, I don't know...Lets just settle for very very good," he decided. "That's very very good. That's really very very good- no, it's not taking off, is it?" he asked, looking at me helplessly. I shook my head, still smiling.

"If I might interrupt," the Sycorax leader snapped.

"Yes, sorry. Hello, big fellow," the Doctor grinned, turning his attention to the Sycorax and clasping his hands behind his back.

"Who exactly are you?" The Sycorax demanded.

"Well, that's the question."

"I demand to know who you are!" The Sycorax yelled.

"I don't know!" The Doctor yelled back, mimicking the Sycorax. I held a hand in front of my mouth to muffle my giggle. "See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested. Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy?" He winked at me, clicking his tongue.

"More like foxy," I said, blushing slightly.

The Doctor grinned and continued. "Right old misery? Life and soul? Right handed? Left handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob." He paused and noticed a red button. "And how am I going to react when I see this, a great big threatening button. A great big threatening button which must not be pressed under any circumstances, am I right?" He dashed up the stairs to examine it. "Let me guess. It's some sort of control matrix, hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?" The Doctor opened the base of the pillar under the button. He stuck his finger in, dipping it in the liquid. "And what've we got here? Blood?" He tasted the red liquid. I grimaced in disgust. "Yeah, definitely blood. Human blood. A Positive, with just a dash of iron. Ah." He stuck his tongue out in disgust and wiped his finger on his dressing gown.

"I believe they're using blood control, Doctor," I told him, recalling this part of the episode.

The Doctor's eyes light up in realization. "Blood control! Oh, I haven't seen blood control for years. You're controlling all the A Positives." The Sycorax leader snarled. "Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem. Because I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a great big threatening button which should never, ever, ever be pressed, then I just want to do this." The Doctor slammed his hand on the button.

"No!" Everyone but me screamed.

"You killed them!" Alex gasped.

The Doctor turned to the Sycorax. "What do you think, big fellow? Are they dead?"

"We allow them to live," the Sycorax growled.

"Allow?" The Doctor scoffed. "You've no choice. I mean, that's all blood control is. A cheap bit of voodoo," the Doctor said, tugging on his earlobe. "Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis. You can hypnotize someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis. You can't hypnotize them to death. Survival instinct's too strong."

"Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force," the Sycorax leader threatened.

The Doctor shrugged, leaning against the pillar by the button. "Well, yeah, you could, yeah, you could do that, of course you could. But why? Look at these people. These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun, there is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than-"

"Doctor," I interrupted.

"Hmm?" He hummed, looking at me questioningly.

"That's the _Lion King_ , sweetie."

"Right, sorry," he mumbled. "But the point still stands. Leave them alone!" He yelled at the Sycorax leader.

"Or what?" The Sycorax leader challenged.

"Or," the Doctor grabbed a sword from a Sycorax guard and ran toward the TARDIS, "I challenge you," he finished. He was met with a roar of laughter from the Sycorax. "Oh, that struck a chord," the Doctor noticed. "Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?" He asked, taking off his dressing gown.

"You stand as this world's champion," the Sycorax leader said, drawing his own sword.

"Thank you. I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up," the Doctor grinned, tossing me his dressing gown. "So, you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?" He smirked, insulting the leader.

I shook my head and crossed my arms. "I don't think I want to know what that means," I muttered.

The Sycorax leader snarled. "For the planet?"

"For the planet," the Doctor confirmed. They did a special staring ritual and clashed swords. The Sycorax leader knocked the Doctor to the ground.

"Look out!" Rose warned as the Sycorax swung his sword between the Doctor's legs.

The Doctor scooted out of the way. "Oh, yeah, that helps. Wouldn't have thought of that otherwise, thanks," the Doctor retorted sarcastically. The Sycorax leader chased the Doctor up a tunnel. "Bit of fresh air?" The Doctor hit a button and a door opened. He and the leader ran out, the rest up us following at a safe distance. I watched the fight nervously. I really hoped this wouldn't be different than the show. The Sycorax leader drove the Doctor back and hit him on the nose with the butt of his sword. Rose gasped and rushed forward to help. I grabbed her and held her back. "Stay back!" The Doctor yelled, wiping his nose. "Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet." They clashed swords again and the Sycorax leader knocked the Doctor to the ground. The Sycorax slashed down and cut off the Doctor's hand. "You cut my hand off," the Doctor gasped.

"Ya! Sycorax!" The Sycorax leader cheered.

The Doctor got to his feet. "And now I know what sort of man I am. I'm lucky. Because quite by chance I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle, which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy to do this." A new hand grew in the place of the stump.

"Witchcraft," the leader accused.

"Time Lord," the Doctor corrected.

"Doctor!" I called, grabbing a sword from the nearest Sycorax guard and throwing it to the Doctor. The guard backhanded me and I stumbled.

"Oh, so I'm still the Doctor, then?" The Doctor asked, having been too focused on trying to catch the sword to see the guard hit me.

"Never said you weren't," I replied, whipping the blood from my split lip.

"Want to know the best bit?" The Doctor asked the leader, hefting his new sword. "This new hand?" He switched to a Texas accent. "It's a fighting hand!" They clashed swords again. After less than a minute, the Doctor managed to disarm the Sycorax leader. He smashed the hilt of the sword into the leader's stomach and knocked him to the ground.

"I win," the Doctor declared, holding his sword at the Sycorax's throat.

"Then kill me," the Sycorax demanded.

"I'll spare your life if you'll take this Champion's command," the Doctor offered. "Leave this planet, and never return. What do you say?"

"Yes," the leader replied.

"Swear on the blood of your species," the Doctor snarled, shifting the sword a bit closer to the leader's throat.

"I swear."

The Doctor grinned and stuck the sword into the ground beside the Sycorax. "There we are, then. Thanks for that. Cheers, big fellow." He turned and walked towards us. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding.

"Bravo!" Harriet said.

"That says it all. Bravo!" Rose agreed. I smiled and held up the Doctor's dressing gown for him.

"Ah, not bad for a man in his jim-jams," the Doctor said as I helped him slip into his dressing gown. "Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man." He stuck his hands into his pockets. "Hold on, what have I got in here?" He pulled out a small orange. "A satsuma. Ah, that friend of your mothers," he said to Rose as we started walking back inside the ship. "He does like his snacks doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas? You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old satsuma. Who wants a satsuma?" I turned my head as I heard the Sycorax leader get up. He picked up the sword the Doctor had left and charged. Without even looking back, the Doctor threw the satsuma at another button on the wall of the ship. A hole in the ship appeared and the Sycorax leader fell to his death. "No second chances. I'm that sort of a man," the Doctor said, taking hold of my hand.

We entered the spaceship and walked back to the TARDIS and stopped in front of it.

"By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time," the Doctor ordered, addressing the rest of the Sycorax. "And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet, when you tell them of it's riches, it's people, it's potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this. It. is. defended." We were beamed back to Earth.

"Where are we?" Rose asked as we landed.

"We're just off Bloxom Road. We're just round the corner, we did it!" Mickey cheered.

The Doctor held up a hand, staring at the spaceship. "Wait a minute, wait a minute." We watched as the spaceship took off.

"Go on, my son! Oh, yeah!" Mickey cheered.

Rose jumped onto Mickey's back. "Yeah! Don't come back!"

"It is defended!" Mickey yelled. Rose jumped off Mickey's back and they hugged. Rose than ran over to hug Alex.

"My Doctor," Harriet smiled.

"Prime Minister," the Doctor smiled back. I stood off to the side, smiling as they hugged.

"Absolutely the same man," Harriet declared. "Are there many more out there?" Harriet gestured to the retreating spaceship.

I nodded. "And not just Sycorax. There are hundreds of thousands of species, Harriet."

"The human race is drawing attention to itself," the Doctor said. "Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals. This planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed more and more. You'd better get used to it."

"Rose!" Jackie called, running down the street towards us.

"Mum!" Rose called back.

"Oh, talking of trouble," the Doctor mumbled. I elbowed him in the ribs, sending him stern look. He merely chuckled.

"Oh, my gosh!" Jackie gasped. "You did it, Rose! Oh!"

"You did it too!" Rose told her. "It was the tea. Fixed his head."

"That was all I needed, cup of tea," the Doctor declared with a grin.

"I said so," Jackie said.

"Can't believe I didn't think of that," I muttered.

"Look at him," Rose said, grinning at the Doctor.

"Is it him, though? Is it really the Doctor?" Jackie asked. Then she noticed Harriet. "Oh, my gosh, it's the bleeding Prime Minister!"

"Come here, you," the Doctor grinned, holding out his arms to Jackie. She hugged him, followed by Rose, Mickey, and I.

"Are you better?" Jackie asked.

The Doctor nodded. "I am, yeah." I stood back from the hug and glanced in the direction of Harriet and Alex. Alex was whispering something to Harriet.

"You left me," Jackie complained to Rose. I tuned them out as Harriet glanced at the Doctor, a sorrowful look on her face. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. What was that look for? She said something to Alex who nodded and walked a couple paces away. Something clicked in my brain and my eyes widened. I bolted towards Alex.

"Elena?" The Doctor asked in confusion. I ignored him. I reached Alex and grabbed the earpiece he was wearing. He was too shocked to protest.

"Sorry, Torchwood," I said into the earpiece, "but we will not be needing your services today. Stand down." After getting a confused confirmation, I handed the earpiece back to Alex and walked back towards the Doctor, feeling rather pleased with myself.

"What was that about?" The Doctor asked me.

"Nothing," I dismissed. "Just keeping Harriet from committing genocide."

The Doctor turned his gaze to Harriet. "You were going to kill them?" He asked angrily.

"To defend this planet, yes," Harriet replied defensively.

"But they were leaving," the Doctor growled.

"You said yourself, Doctor, they'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth," Harriet reminded him. "I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today. Mister Llewellyn and the Major, they were murdered. They died right in front of me while you were sleeping. In which case we have to defend ourselves."

"That doesn't give you the right to kill an entire species," I snapped.

"Britain's Golden Age," the Doctor muttered darkly.

"It comes with a price," Harriet snapped.

"I gave them the wrong warning. I should've told them to run as fast as they can, run and hide because the monsters are coming. The human race," the Doctor said, glaring at Harriet.

"Those are the people I represent. I was doing it on their behalf," Harriet declared.

"It certainly wasn't on my behalf," I said angrily, curling my hands into fists.

"What would you know? You're still just a child," Harriet replied coolly. I stepped forward, ready to give her a piece of my mind. The Doctor placed a hand on my shoulder, silently telling me to back off. I did so, but I was still fuming. Harriet had no right to kill off the Sycorax. She was the Prime Minister of Britain, not of Earth.

"I should have stopped you," the Doctor snarled.

"What does that make you, Doctor? Another alien threat?" Harriet mocked.

"Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones, because I'm a completely new man," the Doctor growled, getting into Harriet's face. "I could bring down your Government with a single word."

"You're the most remarkable man I've ever met, but I don't think you're quite capable of that," Harriet said calmly.

"No, you're right. Not a single word, just six," the Doctor corrected.

"I don't think so," Harriet said quietly.

"Six words," the Doctor repeated.

"Stop it!"

"Six." The Doctor walked over to Alex, pulled off his earpiece, and whispered something in his ear. Alex looked at him in confusion. The Doctor walked back towards us, glaring at Harriet as he passed. The Doctor, Rose, Mickey, Jackie, and I all turned around and walked away.

"Doctor!" Harriet called, but he ignored her. "Doctor, what did you? What was that? What did he say? What did you say, Doctor? Doctor!" I stopped and looked back at her sadly. "I'm sorry."

"I hope so," I told her. I turned back around and caught up to the Doctor, slipping my hand into his. "You know, I don't remember ever finding a satsuma after I was done opening presents," I said, attempting to lighten the mood. It was quiet for a moment before Rose, Jackie, and Mickey smiled. The Doctor chuckled.

The Doctor and I returned to the TARDIS and the other three went back to the flat prepare Christmas dinner. The Doctor wandered the wardrobe in search of a new outfit. I sat on a chair, watching him while I hummed _Song for Ten_ by Murray Gold quietly to myself. I had traded in my combat boots for a pair of purple converse and had changed into a purple tank top and black cardigan. The Doctor picked a red, vintage looking coat off the rack and considered it for a moment before putting it back. I stood up and grabbed a brown pinstripe suit and light brown trench coat off the rack and held them up for him. He considered the items I held then looked at me and grinned. He snatched them from my hands and darted off to try them on. I chuckled as he ran off. I noticed the Doctor's old leather jacket laying on a chair and walked over to it. I picked it up and stroked the worn leather, smiling fondly.

"Goodbye, Nine," I whispered. I kissed the jacket and hung it on the clothing rack. I turned as I heard the Doctor return, dressed in his iconic suit and coat. He had accessorized with a brown tie and off white, high top Converse.

"What do you think," he asked, holding his arms out and turning around so I could get a better look.

I smiled. "Fantastic," I replied. He grinned. He looked me up and down, taking in my new outfit. He frowned when his gaze landed on my lips. He walked up to me.

"What happened?" He asked, rubbing his thumb gently over my split lip.

"The Sycorax guard didn't like me stealing his sword," I replied with a shrug. He lowered his hand and we stood in silence.

"Did you really mean it?" He asked suddenly.

"What?" I asked in confusion, not knowing what he was taking about.

"When Rose said she thought you were in love with me and you said yes."

I blushed deeply. "You heard that?" I asked, my voice rising an octave.

"And a few other things," he replied. "Why didn't you say anything?" He asked softly, placing his hands on my arms.

I glanced at the floor, refusing to make eye contact. "It's not that easy." I sighed and closed my eyes. "I didn't want to tell you because I was still figuring out my feelings. This is the first time I've felt any sort of affection towards anyone but my family. I thought it was a simple crush. I also didn't want to make things awkward between us by telling you I liked you if you didn't feel the same. Besides, I'm just a companion and you've had lots of companions. Why would I be any different than the others?"

The Doctor gently placed a hand on my cheek, causing me to look at him. He gazed at me softly. "Oh, Elena," he said quietly, rubbing his thumb over my cheek, "you are so much more than a simple companion." He leaned down. My eyes widened in surprise as he kissed me. Slowly, I closed my eyes and I started kissing back. Our lips moved in perfect sync. My arms slipped around the Doctor's neck and he moved his other hand to my waist, pulling me closer. My heart was pounding so hard I was sure he would be able to hear it. We broke apart for air. The Doctor gazed at me with a affectionate smile. "You have come to mean so much more to me than any companion. I don't know why I didn't realize it before." He kissed me again. He pulled away and placed his forehead against mine. "I love you, Elena."

My heart leapt for joy at his words. "I love you too, Doctor," I replied with a smile. Just then, something caught the Doctor's eye. He glanced down at the fob watch that hung around my neck.

"What's this?" He asked, taking a hand off my waist to touch the watch.

"Just a fob watch," I replied.

He turned the watch over and ran his thumb over the decorative circles. "This is Gallifreyan," he said.

"Yes, it is," I said. "My parents gave it to me for my 21st birthday. Said they had found it at an antique store and thought I would like it. I almost never take it off. Unfortunately, it's broken."

The Doctor shifted his gaze from the fob watch in his hand to me. "Have you tried to open it?"

I thought for a moment. "No."

"Then how do you know it's broken?"

"I-I don't know," I replied. How _did_ I know it was broken?

"Time Lords will sometimes lock their Time Lord conscience in watches very similar to this," the Doctor said slowly.

"Are you saying it could be one of those watches?" I asked. He nodded, staring at me intently. "But then, would that mean that I am a Time Lady?" I stared down at the fob watch and traced one of the circles with my finger.

"Have you heard any whispers that you can't explain?" He asked. I didn't answer as I moved my finger to the button that opened the watch and went to press it.

' _Not yet. It's not time_.' The whisper startled me and I quickly withdrew my hand from the watch.

"What's wrong? What is it?" The Doctor asked, looking at me in concern.

"It-it talked to me," I stuttered, staring at the watch in disbelief. "How did it speak to me?"

"What did it say?"

"It said 'Not yet. It's not time', but what does that mean?" I asked.

"It means," he replied slowly, "that there is a Time Lord conscience, your Time Lord conscience, in this watch and it doesn't want you to open it yet."

I looked at him. "But how? How can there be a Time Lord conscience in that watch?" I asked, deeply confused. "Time Lords don't even exist in my universe."

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know." I looked back down at the watch. My had was spinning with this new revelation. I had so many questions. How was there a Time Lord conscience in my watch? How did it get there? How did the watch get to my universe? How did it get into that antique and why did my parents think I should have it? The Doctor must have sensed my distress because he placed his hands on my shoulders, drawing me from my thoughts. "Elena, look at me," he said gently. I did, fear and confusion showing in my eyes. He placed a hand on my cheek, and rubbed it with his thumb. "I promise you, we will figure it out, together. Okay?"

"But when I open it, I will disappear," I said quietly. "Everything that makes me Elena will be gone."

The Doctor gazed at me softly. "Possibly, but we don't know what the Time Lady in the watch is like. She might be very much like you."

"Or not at all," I muttered.

"We'll worry about that later." He kissed my forehead and I closed my eyes and sighed. "Right now, I think we better get inside for Christmas dinner before Rose comes looking for us."

I nodded and smiled. "Sounds like a good idea." He leaned down and kissed me again before taking my hand.

"Love the Converse by the way," he said as we walked out of the TARDIS.

The Doctor and I entered the flat, hand in hand. Rose, Jackie, and Mickey were standing around the table, preparing for Christmas dinner. Rose looked up as we entered. She grinned at the Doctor and I and we returned the grin. The Doctor took off his trench coat and we all sat down around the table. We dug into the food that filled the table. After dinner, Jackie pulled out Christmas crackers. Everyone was surprised when I told them I had never done a Christmas cracker. The Doctor pulled one with Mickey and got a red paper crown. I pulled one with the Doctor and lost, but he let me have the crown. The Doctor pulled the purple crown out and I allowed him to place it on my head. I pulled a cracker with Rose and she got a pink crown.

"It's pink! Mum, it should be yours," Rose teased, putting on the paper crown. She glanced at the tv. "Look, it's Harriet Jones."

" **Prime Minister, is it true you are no longer fit to be in position?** " A reporter asked Harriet.

" **No. Now, can we talk about other things?** " Harriet pleaded.

" **Is it true you're unfit for office?** " Another reported asked. The Doctor stood from his chair and put out a pair of rectangular, black framed glasses. I nearly melted on the spot. He looked so sexy with his brainy specs.

" **Look, there is nothing wrong with my health. I don't know where these stories are coming from. And a vote of no confidence is completely unjustified** ," Harriet said, offended.

" **Are you going to resign?** " Yet another reporter asked.

" **On today of all days, I'm fine. Look at me, I'm fine. I look fine, I feel fine** ," Harriet insisted.

"So what are you going to do next?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"Well, back to the TARDIS. Same old life," the Doctor answered with a shrug.

"On your own?"

"Well, Elena will be there. Why, don't you want to come?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, yeah," Rose said.

"Do you, though?"

"Yeah!" Rose repeated, a bit more enthusiastically.

"I just thought, because I changed..." the Doctor said, trailing off.

"Yeah, I thought, because you changed you might not want me anymore."

"Oh, we'd love you to come, wouldn't we, Elena?" The Doctor asked.

I nodded and smiled. "Most definitely."

"Okay," Rose grinned.

"You're never going to stay, are you?" Mickey said sadly.

"There's just so much out there. So much to see. I've got to," Rose replied.

"Yeah," Mickey muttered dejectedly.

"Well, I reckon you're mad, the three of you. It's like you go looking for trouble," Jackie said.

"That's what makes it fun," I grinned. "Though we do have a bad habit of running into trouble," I mumbled.

"Trouble's just the bits in-between," the Doctor replied. "It's all waiting out there, Jackie, and it's brand new to me. All those planets, and creatures and horizons. I haven't seem them yet! Not with these eyes." He looked at Rose and I with a knowing smile. "And it is going to be fantastic."

"Found out how to get it to fit the teeth, did we?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

The Doctor shrugged. "Still doesn't feel right. I'll need to work on finding a new word."

"Well, let us know when you do," I said.

"You'll be the first," the Doctor replied with a smile.

Since I had saved the Sycorax, Beth didn't call to tell us to go outside. We all decided to watch a movie. I managed to convince the others to watch _A Charlie Brown Christmas_. It was a tradition in my family to watch it every Christmas. I darted out to the TARDIS to grab the movie. The Doctor sat on one side of the couch and pulled me down with him so I was sitting between his legs. I leaned back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around me. I caught Rose smirking at me and stuck my tongue out at her. I closed my eyes and the vibration of the Doctor's double heart beat lulled me to sleep.

 **Third Person POV**

When the movie ended, the Doctor glanced down at Elena. She had fallen asleep with a soft smile on her face. The Doctor gazed fondly at her, lifting a hand to move a piece of strawberry blonde hair that had fallen into her face.

"So are you two a thing now?" Rose asked, walking up to the Doctor and sleeping Elena.

The Doctor recalled the kiss he and Elena had shared and what they had confessed to each other and smiled softly. "I guess we are." He normally would not have admitted that kind of thing to a companion, especially when said companion was a human. Time Lords lived for so long, the lifespan of a human was a mere blink of an eye. When he had invited Elena to travel with him, it was mainly to keep her knowledge of the future out of the wrong hands. It wasn't long after she had started traveling with him that he had started to view her as more than a companion. He had tried to deny his feelings, to convince himself a relationship between a Time Lord and a human would never work. But when he had heard Elena's confession to Rose, he knew he could hold it in any longer.

The Doctor stood up with Elena, being careful not to wake her. He said goodnight to Rose, Mickey, and Jackie and returned to the TARDIS. He walked to Elena's room, which the TARDIS had moved closer for him. He laid Elena gently on her bed and removed her shoes. He smiled at her affectionately. He picked up the fob watch necklace that still hung around her neck.

' _Keep me safe until the time is right,_ ' it whispered. The Doctor smiled. This watch meant that he wasn't the only Time Lord left. After the Time War, he had wandered the universe believing that he was the last of his kind. But here in his hand was another of his species. But how had it wound up in the other universe? And what Time Lord was held within the watch? There were so many questions that needed answering. He sighed. He would just have to wait till the watch decided it was time to be opened. The Doctor placed the watch back and leaned over to place a kiss on Elena's forehead. She sighed in contentment at his touch. He smiled and chuckled quietly.

"Goodnight, Elena," he said softly the closed the door quietly behind him

* * *

 **What did you guys think? I'm not to sure about the reveal part of this chapter, so if anyone has any tips on how to make it better please let me know. Till next time.**


	16. New Earth

**Hello readers! Season is under way. I updated the first chapter. I added a bit more and hopefully made the Doctor seem less out of character.**

* * *

When I woke up the next morning I rolled over onto my back and stretched, groaning slightly as I did so. I opened my eyes and was surprised to find myself in my bed. How did I get here? I blushed when I realized the Doctor must have carried me. I hopped out of bed, grabbed an outfit, and jumped in the shower. I padded out of the bathroom dressed in a purple and white plaid, button up over top of a white tank top and my usual dark skinny jeans. I put on my dark purple Converse and grabbed my leather jacket on the way out of my room. I entered the console room to see the Doctor beginning to power up the TARDIS.

"Good morning," I said, walking up to him and kissing him on the cheek. "Feeling better?"

"Much," he replied. He wrapped an arm around my waist and drew me closer to him. He planted a kiss on my lips. "We're just waiting for Rose and then we'll take off."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and smiled, flirtatiously. "I'm in no hurry," I said, pulling him down for another kiss. He eagerly returned the kiss. We pulled apart when Rose entered the TARDIS, a backpack filled with clothes on her back. She grinned at us. The Doctor let go of me and ran around the console, flicking switches as he went.

"So where are we going?" Rose asked eagerly.

"Further than we've ever gone before," the Doctor replied with a grin.

A short bumpy ride later and the TARDIS landed. We exited the TARDIS and Rose and I stared awe at the view before us. We had materialized on a grassy hill. Across the river was a massive city. I looked up as flying cars zoomed but above us.

"It's the year five billion and twenty three. We're in the galaxy M87, and this? This is New Earth," the Doctor explained, gazing at the silver city across the river.

"Wow!" I whispered in barely contained delight.

"That's just. That's just..." Rose stammered, unable to come up with a word to describe the beautiful sight before us.

The Doctor grinned. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

"That's amazing. I'll never get used to this. Never," Rose exclaimed. She jumped up and down. "Different ground beneath my feet, different sky. What's that smell?" She sniffed the air.

"Is that apple grass?" I asked.

The Doctor bent down and picked a few blades of grass. "Yup," he replied, handing me the blades to smell.

"Apple grass," Rose repeated, taking the pieces of grass I handed her and sniffing them.

"Yeah, yeah," the Doctor grinned.

"It's beautiful," I said, staring at the gorgeous view.

Rose grinned. "Oh, I love this. Can I just say, traveling with you two, I love it."

"Us too," the Doctor grinned back. He grabbed Rose and I's hands. "Come on." He ran down the hill, Rose and I laughing.

We stopped at the bottom of the hill and the Doctor took off his trench coat and laid it on the grass. Rose sat on one side of him and I sat on the other. I propped myself up with my hands and crossed my ankles, admiring the view of the city. The Doctor was laying on his back with his hands behind his head. Rose was in a similar position as me.

"So, the year five billion, the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted," the Doctor started to explain.

"That was Rose's first trip," I said, smiling as I remembered that adventure and the people I had managed to save.

The Doctor smiled at the memory. "We had chips. So anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up, oh yeah, they get all nostalgic, big revival movement, but then find this place. Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit. Lovely. Call goes out, the humans move in."

"What's the city called?" Rose asked.

"New New York," the Doctor answered.

"Oh, come on," she scoffed.

"It is. It's the city of New New York," the Doctor insisted.

"Technically, it's the fifteenth New York since the original," I corrected.

"So that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York," the Doctor said. I chuckled quietly. "What?"

I shook my head. "Nothing, it's just you're so different."

The Doctor grinned. "New New Doctor."

"Wouldn't it be New new new new new new new new new new Doctor?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Touché."

"What?" Rose asked, confused.

"Nothing," I replied.

Rose shook her head and stood up. "Can we go and visit New New York, so good they named it twice?"

The Doctor and I stood as well and I helped him put his coat back on. "Well, I thought we might go there first," the Doctor said, nodding towards a large, white building with a green, crescent moon in the side in the distance.

"What for?" I asked.

"Some sort of hospital," the Doctor answered. "Green moon on the side. That's the universal symbol for hospitals. I got this. A message on the psychic paper." He pulled out his psychic paper. The message read 'Ward 26 Please Come.' "Someone wants to see me."

"Hmm," Rose hummed. "And I thought we were just sight-seeing. Come on, then. Let's go and buy some grapes." We walked off towards the hospital.

"Why did it have to be a hospital?" The Doctor grumbled as we walked through the automatic doors.

"Bit rich coming from you," Rose teased.

"I can't help it," the Doctor protested. "I don't like hospitals. They give me the creeps."

" **The Pleasure Gardens will now take visitors carrying green or blue identification cards for the next fifteen minutes. Visitors are reminded that cuttings from the gardens are not permitted,** " a computerized voice said.

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't like hospitals either," I told the Doctor. "I can't stand needles. I started hyperventilating the last time I had blood drawn."

Rose looked around the large reception room. "Very smart. Not exactly NHS."

"No shop," the Doctor complained. "I like the little shop."

I smiled in amusement. ' _And so starts his obsession with shops_.'

"I thought this far in the future, they'd have cured everything," Rose commented.

"The human race moves on, but so do the viruses. It's an ongoing war," I told her.

Rose stared at one of the nurses as she passed. "They're cats," she gasped.

"Now, don't stare," the Doctor scolded lightly. "Think what you look like to them, all pink and yellow. That's where I'd put the shop. Right there." He walked over towards one of the two elevators. "Ward 26, thanks!" he told the computer cheerfully.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Rose called. Rose and I darted after him. I remembered that Cassandra was going to have Chip override the controls, so I shoved Rose into the elevator just before the doors closed.

"Oh, too late. We're going up," the Doctor said, not sounding very sorry at all.

"There's another lift," I called after them. "I'll meet you guys up there."

"Ward 26. And watch out for the disinfectant," the Doctor warned, his voice growing faint as the elevator rose.

"Gotcha!" I called back. I entered the second elevator as it dinged. "Ward 26, thanks." The elevator began to move.

" **Commence stage one disinfection** ," a computerized voice declared. I squeaked in surprise as I was sprayed by water. I knew it was coming, but the water was cold. Thankfully it warmed up a bit. I took my hair out of the braid I had put it in and combed my fingers through it. The water stopped and I was sprayed with some kind of powder. I sneezed and another cloud of powder flew into the air. Fans came on and I combed through my hair, trying to get rid of all the tangles. I finished putting my hair back in its braid as I exited the elevator. I looked around and spotted Chip standing off to the side.

"The human child is clean," he declared.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that I'm not in Ward 26," I said sarcastically. I sighed. "Well, no point in standing around chit chatting. Lead the way."

"This way, Elena Jackson," Chip said. He trotted off. I followed, but not before grabbing a metal bar from the floor.

Chip led me to a room where a reel projector was set up. The film was of a party. " **I mean, you never know what your life is going to be like, ever** ," a human Cassandra said on the film. " **I'm bored with this drink. Anyway. Oh, hello darling!** " A man whispered something in her ear and she smacked him flirtatiously. " **Now, don't. Stop it.** "

"Now, I wonder who that could be," I said sarcastically, turning around.

"Peekaboo!" Cassandra said cheerfully, back as the trampoline.

"If either you or Gollum over there come anywhere near me...," I warned, raising my metal bar threateningly.

"It's not like I can flap you to death," Cassandra retorted. "And don't mind Chip. He just my pet."

"I worship the mistress," Chip declared, standing faithfully beside Cassandra.

"Moisturize me, moisturize me," Cassandra ordered. Chip picked up a small spray bottle and sprayed Cassandra. "He's not even a proper life form. He's a force grown clone. I modeled him on my favorite pattern. But he's so faithful. Chip sees to my physical needs," Cassandra explained.

"I hope that means food," I said. "How come you're still alive?"

"After you murdered me," Cassandra growled.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "That was your own fault," I told her.

"The brain of my mistress survived. And her pretty blue eyes were salvaged from the bin," Chip said, smiling at Cassandra softly.

I raised and eyebrow. "What about the skin? I watched you explode," I pointed out.

"That piece of skin was taken from the front of my body. This piece is the back," Cassandra said.

"Right!" I laughed. "So you're talking out of your-"

"Ask not," Cassandra interrupted. I smirked.

"The mistress was lucky to survive. Chip secreted m'lady into the hospital," Chip said.

"So they don't know you're here?" I guessed.

"Chip steals medicine," Chip said. "Helps m'lady. Soothes her, strokes her." Chip reached out a hand to stroke Cassandra.

"You can stop right there, Chip," I said hurriedly.

"But I'm so alone, hidden down here. The last Human in existence," Cassandra said, sniffing a bit.

"Don't start that again," I snapped. "They've called this planet New Earth."

"A vegetable patch," Cassandra declared.

"And there's millions of Humans out there. Millions of them."

"Mutant stock," she dismissed.

"They evolved, Cassandra. They just evolved, like they should. You stayed still. You got yourself all pickled and preserved, and what good did it do you?" I asked her.

Cassandra ignored me and turned her attention to the film. "Oh, I remember that night. Drinks for the Ambassador of Thrace," she said wistfully. "That was the last time anyone told me I was beautiful. After that it all became...such hard work," she growled.

' _Hmm. I wonder why?_ ' I thought sarcastically. "Well, you've got a knack for survival, I'll give you that," I complimented reluctantly.

"But I've not been idle, Elena, tucked away underneath this hospital. I've been listening. The Sisters are hiding something," Cassandra said.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Oh these cats have secrets," Cassandra said. She lowered her voice. "Hush, let me whisper. Come close."

I snorted. "Yeah, I don't think so. It was great catching up, but I got to go. You know, planets to save and all," I said, backing up towards the door. Unfortunately, I backed right into Cassandra's trap. Yellow energy grabbed my hands. ' _Well, crap_ ,' I thought bitterly.

"Chip, activate the psychograft," Cassandra ordered.

"Let me go you undersized trampoline!" I shouted, struggling to move. A cage of light appeared around me.

"The lady's moving on," Cassandra declared. "It's goodbye trampoline, and hello blondie." A pink energy cloud flowed from Cassandra to me. I was pushed to the back of my mind as Cassandra forced her way in. Everything shut down and I collapsed.

Chip hurried over. "Mistress?" He asked in concern.

"Moisturize me," Cassandra said using my body. She began to examine her new form. "How bizarre. Arms, fingers," she gasped as her hair fell in her face, "hair! Let me see! Let me see!" She stood up and ran over to a mirror. She stared at her new body, MY body, in horror. "Oh my gosh. I'm a chav!"

' _Who you calling a chav!?'_ I yelled at her in my mind, offended _._

She ignored me and examined my body in the mirror. "Look at me. From class to brass. Although," she paused as she ran her hand down my body, "oh, curves. Oh, baby." She started bouncing up and down. "It's like living inside a bouncy castle!"

"The mistress is beautiful," Chip complimented.

"Absolutement!" Cassandra replied happily. She looked over where her skin was. "Oh, but look." Cassandra and Chip wandered over to the equipment that had been keeping Cassandra alive.

"Oh, the brain lead expired," Chip said sadly, looking at the fried equipment. "My old mistress is gone."

"But safe and sound in here," Cassandra said, tapping her head.

' _Yes, and I would really appreciate if you would GET OUT!_ ' I yelled. Cassandra winced slightly as I yelled.

"But what of the Elena child's mind?" Chip asked.

"Oh, she's very aware of what's happening and isn't too happy," Cassandra replied. "She's stronger mentally than most humans, but I can just about access the surface memory. She's..." She paused in shock. "She's with the Doctor. That man. He's the Doctor. The same Doctor with a new face. That hypocrite! I must get the name of his surgeon. I could do with a little work." She wandered back over to the mirror.

' _Oh no. You are not touching my face!'_ I growled angrily, but was once again ignored.

"Although nice rear bumper," Cassandra complimented, running her hand over my bum thoughtfully. I mentally crossed my arms and huffed in annoyance. "Hmm." Suddenly, my phone, which was sitting in my back pocket, started singing the Sherlock theme song. I had recently changed my ringtone for calls I didn't recognize. I had originally had a Dalek voice yelling at me, but had quickly changed it after I got a phone call from a person I had given my number to while I was on an adventure with the Doctor. He had jumped nearly a mile high and had pointed his sonic screwdriver around threateningly. He was rather surprised and embarrassed when he found out it was my phone. "Oh, it seems to be ringing. Is it meant to ring?" Cassandra asked as she pulled my phone out.

"A primitive communications device," Chip informed her.

" **Elena, where are you?** " The Doctor asked over the phone.

"How does she speak?" Cassandra asked quietly, putting the phone up to her ear.

"Old Earth American," Chip said.

"Er, what's up," Cassandra greeted reluctantly, trying and failing terribly to imitate my American accent.

" **Where've you been? How long does it take to get to Ward 26?** " The Doctor asked.

"I'm on my way governor. I shall proceed directly to the elevator."

" **You'll never guess. I'm with the Face of Boe** ," the Doctor said excitedly, not seeming to notice anything was wrong. " **Remember him?** "

"Of course I do," Cassandra laughed. "That big old...boat...race."

" **I'd better go. See you in a minute.** " The Doctor hung up. Cassandra started making herself more presentable.

"This Doctor man is dangerous," Chip warned.

"Dangerous and clever," Cassandra replied, fixing her hair. "I might need a mind like his. The Sisterhood is up to something." She began to unbutton her shirt, revealing the white tank top underneath. "Remember that Old Earth saying, never trust a Nun? Never trust a Nurse. And never trust a cat. Perfume?" Chip handed her a small vile and she tucked it down the front of her tank top, which she has adjusted to show way more cleavage than I was comfortable with, which to be honest wouldn't take much as I preferred shirts with high necklines.

Cassandra got into the elevator and headed up to Ward 26. She got out and wandered in search of the Doctor. She spotted him as he examined the different patients. If he didn't notice something was off about me soon, I was going to smack him when I got my body back.

"There you are," the Doctor said, spotting Cassandra/me as Cassandra walked towards him. Rose stood next to him, eyeing the patients. He took off his glasses and gently grabbed Cassandra's arm. "Come and look at this patient. Marconi's Disease," he explained as Cassandra stared at the red skinned patient. "Should take years to recover. Two days. I've never seen anything like it. They've invented a cell washing cascade. It's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced. And this one." He led Cassandra over to a man who was as white as the hospital gown he wore. "Pallidome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine." The Doctor waved cheerily at the man. "I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this." He led Rose and Cassandra out into the hall. "Because if they've got the best medicine in the world, then why is it such a secret?"

"I can't Adam and Eve it," Cassandra said, dropping her terrible imitation at an American accent and causing the Doctor and Rose to look at her in confusion.

I mentally rolled my eyes. ' _Seriously, Cassandra? The Doctor is going to get suspicious of you if you continue to talk like that, if he's not suspicious already._ '

"What's, what's. what's with the voice?" The Doctor asked, raising his eyebrows.

' _Told you_ ,' I told her, mentally smirking. She ignored me once again.

Cassandra placed her hands on her hips flirtatiously. "Oh, I don't know. Just larking about. New Earth," she looked the Doctor up and down, "new me." Rose was glancing back and forth between us.

The Doctor glanced down briefly at Cassandra and blushed lightly when he saw how low her tank top was. "Well, I can talk. New New Doctor," he grinned.

Cassandra smiled flirtatiously, eyeing the Doctor again. "Mmm, aren't you just." Cassandra then grabbed the Doctor's face and slammed her lips on his. Rose and I were both to shocked to say anything. Cassandra ran her hands through the Doctor's hair as she kissed him. The Doctor made no move to deepen the kiss, probably also in shock at Cassandra's sudden kiss. She pulled away with a smack. "T-Terminal's this way," she stammered, then walked off, rubbing the back of her neck. "Phew."

I finally unfroze from my shock. ' _What the heck, Cassandra?!_ ' I screamed at her, causing her to wince. ' _What on earth did you think you were doing?_ '

' _Kissing him,_ ' she mentally replied. ' _I would have thought that was obvious._ '

' _Well, if he wasn't suspicious before he definitely will be now,_ ' I snapped, huffing angrily. Cassandra stopped in front of the terminal and started to examine it as the Doctor and Rose caught up.

"Nope, nothing odd," the Doctor said as he examined the terminal. "Surgery, post-op, nano-dentistry. No sign of a shop. They should have a shop."

Cassandra shook her head. "No, it's missing something else. When I was downstairs, those Nurse Cat Nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it?"

The Doctor glanced at Cassandra. "You're right. Well done," he complimented.

"Why would they hide a whole department?" Cassandra mused. "It's got to be there somewhere. Search the sub-frame."

"What if the sub-frame's locked?" The Doctor asked. Rose eyed Cassandra/me suspiciously. I smiled to myself. At least someone seemed to notice that I was acting strangely. I could only hope that the Doctor had noticed as well and was simply pretending to be oblivious so as not to alert Cassandra.

"Try the installation protocol," Cassandra said, like it should have been obvious to the casual observer.

"Yeah. Of course. Sorry," the Doctor replied, pulling out his sonic screwdriver. "Hold on." He soniced the interface and a wall off to the side slid down to reveal a dark hallway. Cassandra smirked and walked straight in without hesitation. "Intensive Care. Certainly looks intensive," the Doctor muttered.

"No kidding," Rose agreed.

Cassandra led the Doctor and Rose down a old-fashioned staircase. The walls were lined with cells. The Doctor opened one of the green tinted doors, revealing a man covered in all sorts of different diseases. I watched sadly from the corner of my mind.

"Oh, my gosh," Rose gasped, staring at the man in horror.

"That's disgusting. What's wrong with him?" Cassandra asked, eyeing the man with clear disgust.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," the Doctor said, staring at the man sorrowfully as he closed the door. He moved to another door. This cell contained a young woman. Rose had tears in her eyes as she stared at the woman.

"What disease is that?" Cassandra asked.

"All of them. Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything," the Doctor answered quietly.

"What about us? Are we safe?" Cassandra asked anxiously.

"The air's sterile. Just don't touch them." The Doctor closed the door and we walked over to the railing.

"How many patients are there?" Cassandra inquired, staring at the thousands of cells that filled the chamber.

"They're not patients," the Doctor answered darkly. I could hear the approach of The Oncoming Storm.

"But they're sick," Cassandra protested.

"They were born sick. They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick," the Doctor snarled. "Lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm."

"How could they do that?" Rose asked in horrified disbelief.

"I intend to find out," the Doctor replied darkly.

"Why don't they just die?" Cassandra asked.

"Plague carriers. The last to go," the Doctor explained.

"It's for the greater cause," a new voice said. The Doctor, Rose, and Cassandra turned around to see Novice Hame approaching us.

"Novice Hame," the Doctor growled, "When you took your vows, did you agree to this?"

"The Sisterhood has sworn to help," Novice Hame answered.

"What, by killing?" The Doctor yelled angrily.

"But they're not real people. They're specially grown. They have no proper existence," Novice Hame replied.

The Doctor walked towards Novice Hame. "What's the turnover, hmm?" He asked, glaring at the cat. "Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousands? For how many years? How many!" He demanded.

"Mankind needed us. They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try," Novice Hame insisted. "We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow, so the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh," she said with a smile.

"How can you say that?!" Rose snapped, glaring at the cat. "They are living, breathing people. How can you stand there and claim they're not alive?"

"But think of those Humans out there, healthy and happy, because of us," Novice Hame said.

"If they live because of this, then life is worthless," the Doctor growled.

"But who are you to decide that?"

"I'm the Doctor. And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me."

"Just to confirm. None of the humans in the city actually know about this?" Cassandra asked Hame, leaning around the Doctor.

Novice Hame nodded. "We thought it best not."

"Hold on. I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand. What have you done to Elena?" The Doctor asked angrily.

' _Well, it's about time,_ ' I said irritably.

"I don't know what you mean," Novice Hame replied, looking at the Doctor with a confused expression.

"And I'm being very, very calm. You want to be aware of that. Very, very calm," the Doctor said, sounding like he was struggling to remain calm. "And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Elena's head, I want it reversed."

"We haven't done anything," Novice Hame insisted.

"Doctor, I think she's telling the truth," Rose said quietly.

"I'm perfectly fine," Cassandra assured him.

' _Give it up, Cassandra. He's found you out_ ,' I snapped at her.

"These people are dying, and Elena would care," the Doctor told Hame.

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Oh, all right, clever clogs," she conceded. The Doctor spun around to face her, still glaring. "Smarty pants." Cassandra tugged the Doctor's tie out flirtatiously and lowered her voice. "Lady-killer."

"What's happened to you?" He asked, his eyes searching her face for an explanation.

"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out," she answered.

"Who are you?"

Cassandra leaned forward. "The last human," she whispered into the Doctor's ear, standing on her tip toes to do so.

"Cassandra?" The Doctor asked in confusion.

"You mean the trampoline?" Rose asked in shock.

"Wake up and smell the perfume," Cassandra snapped, pulling out the vial she had tucked away. She sprayed the contents of the vial in the Doctor and Rose faces, causing them to pass out. There was a loud 'thunk' as the Doctor hit one of the cell doors as he fell.

' _Doctor! Rose!_ ' I yelled anxiously.

Novice Hame crouched next to the unconscious Doctor and Rose and examined them. "You've hurt them," she accused Cassandra. "I don't understand. I'll have to fetch Matron."

"You do that, because I want to see her," Cassandra snapped. "Now, run along. Sound the alarm!" Cassandra pulled a power cable, setting off the alarm as Hame ran back the way we had come.

A few minutes later, Chip joined Cassandra and helped her move the Doctor and Rose into cells. I watched quietly from the corner of the mind, frustrated that I was unable to do anything.

"Let me out! Let me out!" The Doctor yelled from his cell, having woken up.

Cassandra walked up to his cell and leaned an arm against it. "Aren't you lucky there was a spare? Standing room only."

"You've stolen Elena's body," he accused. "Where's Rose?"

"Doctor?" Rose called from a couple cells over.

"In another cell," Cassandra told him. "Wasn't enough room in yours, but thankfully there happened to be several spares. Over the years, I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor. And now, that's exactly what I've got. One thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top-up every ten minutes. You've got about," Cassandra checked her wrist watch, "three minutes left. Enjoy."

"Just let Elena and Rose go, Cassandra," the Doctor pleaded.

"I will let Elena go," Cassandra assured him. "As soon as I've found someone younger, and less common, then I'll junk her with the waste. Now hushaby. It's showtime."

' _Please, Cassandra,_ ' I begged, ' _at least let Rose go._ ' I couldn't allow Rose to get hurt.

' _We'll see,_ ' she replied back.

"Anything we can do to help?" Sister Jatt asked as she and Matron Casp approached.

"Straight to the point, Whiskers. I want money," Cassandra said.

"The Sisterhood is a charity," Matron Casp told her. "We don't give money. We only accept."

"The humans across the water pay you a fortune, and that's exactly what I need. A one-off payment, that's all I want. Oh, and perhaps a yacht," Cassandra said, muttering the last part. "In return for which, I shall tell the city nothing of your institutional murder. Is that a deal?"

"I'm afraid not," Casp refused.

"I'd really advise you to think about this," Cassandra insisted.

"Oh, there's no need. I have to decline," Casp said.

"I'll tell them," Cassandra threatened, "and you've no way of stopping me. You're not exactly Nuns with Guns. You're not even armed."

"Who needs arms when we have claws?" Matron Casp unsheathed her claws and growled.

Cassandra laughed nervously. "Well, nice try. Chip? Plan B." Chip pulled a lever and all the doors on our level opened. The Doctor and Rose stumbled out of their cells along with the diseased people.

"Doctor!" Rose called, running over to him.

"What've you done?" The Doctor asked Cassandra angrily.

"Gave the system a shot of adrenaline, just to wake them up," she answered. "See you!" She and Chip took off down the hallway, away from the diseased people.

"Don't touch them! Whatever you do, don't touch!" The Doctor shouted at Jatt and Casp before her and Rose followed Cassandra. We ran and Cassandra screamed as each cell lock exploded behind us.

"Oh, my gosh," Cassandra gasped as we watched all the diseased people leave their cells.

"What the heck have you done?" The Doctor yelled angrily.

"It wasn't me," Cassandra protested indignantly.

"One touch and you get every disease in the world, and I want that body safe, Cassandra. We've got to go down," the Doctor said.

"But there's thousands of them!" Cassandra whined. I couldn't' tell if she was talking about the stairs or the people.

' _Stop arguing and listen for once!_ ' I shouted at her irritably.

"Run!" The Doctor yelled as the diseased people surrounded us. "Down! Down! Go down!" The Doctor, Rose, and Cassandra bolted down the stairs at breakneck speed.

" **This building is under quarantine** ," a computerized voice declared. " **Repeat, this building is under quarantine. No one may leave the premises. Repeat, no one may leave the premises.** "

"Keep going! Go down!" The Doctor ordered. Cassandra ran over to the elevator I had come down in. "No, the lifts have closed down. That's the quarantine. Nothing's moving."

"Which way now?" Rose asked.

"This way!" Cassandra said, running past them. Rose and the Doctor followed, Chip lagging behind a bit. Some diseased people came around a corner and cut him off from our group.

"Someone will touch him," the Doctor said, turning back to help Chip.

Cassandra grabbed the Doctor's arm. "Leave him! He's just a clone thing. He's only got a half life. Come on!" She tugged the Doctor along.

' _He a living being, Cassandra. You can't just leave him to die,_ ' I told her angrily, but she ignored me.

"Mistress!" Chip called desperately.

"I'm sorry, I can't let her escape," the Doctor apologized and continued running.

Cassandra led Rose and the Doctor back to the room she had been hiding in. She ran to a back door and opened it only to quickly slam it shut again as there were diseased people on the other side. "We're trapped! What am I going to do?" Cassandra whined in despair.

"Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body. That psychograft is banned on every civilized planet. You're compressing Elena to death," the Doctor snapped angrily.

"But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's dead," Cassandra protested.

"Not my problem," the Doctor retorted. "You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out." When Cassandra didn't comply, he raised his sonic screwdriver threateningly. "Give her back to me," he growled, the Oncoming Storm flashing in his eyes.

"You asked for it," Cassandra said. She took a deep breath and blew a cloud of energy at the Doctor.

I groaned in pain as I was suddenly shoved back into my head. "Ow, my head," I moaned, stumbling slightly.

"Elena!" Rose said in relief as she steadied me. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I replied. I glanced around. "Where'd she go?"

"Oh my. This is...different," the Doctor/Cassandra said.

"Cassandra?" Rose asked hesitantly.

"Goodness me, I'm a man," Cassandra said in delight. "Yum. So many parts." She twitched the Doctor's body strangely, eyes widening. "And hardly used." She gasped. "Oh, oh, two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!" She jerked a weird sort of dance to the beat of the Doctor's double hearts.

"Cassandra, get out of him," I ordered.

"Oo, he's slim," she noted, running a hand down the Doctor's frame, "and a little bit foxy." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "You've thought so too. I've been inside your head." She smirked as she approached me and I did my best to hide my blush. "You've been looking. You like it." The back door burst open and the diseased people came in. "What do we do? What would he do? The Doctor, what the heck would he do?" Cassandra panicked, smacking my arm.

"Ladder," I said, glancing behind me. "We've got to get up."

Cassandra shoved Rose and I aside and scrambled to the ladder. "Out of the way, blondies!"

"Please, help us. Help," a diseased woman pleased. I eyed them sadly before following Cassandra.

"Cassandra, you need to get out of the Doctor's body. He can't help us if you're knocking around his head," I told her as we climbed. Cassandra was first, me second, and Rose brought up the rear.

"Yap, yap, yap," Cassandra mocked. "Gosh, it was tedious inside your head. Hormone city."

"We're going to die if-" Rose started, but cried out in surprise as Matron Casp grabbed her ankle. "Get off!" Rose yelled, trying to shake the cat loose.

"All our good work. All that healing. The good name of the Sisterhood. You have destroyed everything," Matron Casp hissed.

"Go and play with a ball of string," Cassandra retorted.

"Everywhere, disease. This is the human world. Sickness!" One of the diseased people that had been following us up the ladder grabbed Matron Casp's leg. She cried out as she too became diseased. She leg go of the ladder and fell, screaming the whole way.

"Move!" I yelled to Cassandra, who whimpered and scrambled up the ladder. We finally reached the doors to the next level and Cassandra pounded on the doors, hoping they would open.

"Now what do we do?" Cassandra asked me when the doors refused to open.

"Use the sonic screwdriver," I told her.

She reached into the Doctor's suit coat and pulled out the sonic. She held it between her thumb and index finger, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "You mean this thing?"

"Yes, I mean that thing," I snapped.

"Well, I don't know how," Cassandra protested. "That Doctor's hidden away all his thoughts."

"Go into me, Cassandra," Rose called from below.

"No," I told Rose firmly. "I'm not letting her take over your body."

"But-" Rose started.

"This is not up for debate, Rose. The answer is no." I turned my attention back to Cassandra. "Cassandra, go back into me. The Doctor can open it and don't let him argue." She hesitated. "Do it!"

"Hold on tight," Cassandra sighed.

I groaned mentally as I was shoved to the back of my mind again. "Oh, chavtastic again," Cassandra muttered irritably. "Open it!" She yelled at the Doctor.

"Not till you get out of her," the Doctor retorted angrily.

"Elena said to not let you argue," Cassandra told him.

"I don't care," the Doctor snapped. "I order you to leave her!"

I groaned again as I was shoved back into my head. This was getting ridiculous. "No matter how difficult the situation, there is no need to shout," Cassandra scolded from the Doctor's body.

"Cassandra, get out of him!" I shouted at her.

"But I can't go into you, he simply refuses. He's so rude. And you won't let me into her," Cassandra said, gesturing to Rose with her head,

"We don't have time for this," I snapped in exasperation. "Just do something."

"Oh, I am so going to regret this," Cassandra said, pulling a disgusted face. She transferred past Rose and I and into a diseased woman below us.

"Oh, my gosh. I look disgusting," Cassandra complained. The Doctor quickly opened the elevator doors.

"Nice to have you back," the Doctor told me as he helped me through the doors.

"Nice to be back," I replied, relieved to be back in control of my body. That relief was short lived, however, as Cassandra threw herself into my mind again. I collapsed to the ground at the force with which she entered my mind.

' _Seriously, Cassandra?!_ ' I shouted at her. I was really getting tired of not having control over my body.

"That was your last warning, Cassandra!" The Doctor yelled as he soniced the doors closed after helping Rose up.

"Inside her head. They're so alone. They keep reaching out, just to hold us. All their lives and they've never been touched," Cassandra said softly. The Doctor and Rose glanced at each other before the Doctor held out a hand to Cassandra. She looked up at him in surprise, but took his hand.

We returned to Ward 26 and Frau Clovis came charging at us, yelling and brandishing a chair.

"We're safe!" The Doctor said hurriedly, holding up his hands in surrender. "We're safe! We're safe! We're clean! We're clean! Look, look."

"Show me your skin," Clovis demanded.

The Doctor, Rose, and Cassandra obliged, twisting their arms to show her. "Look, clean. Look, if we'd been touched, we'd be dead." The Doctor insisted. Frau Clovis lowered the chair. "So how's it going up here? What's the status?"

"There's nothing but silence from the other wards. I think we're the only ones left," Clovis informed the Doctor. "And I've been trying to override the quarantine. If I can trip a signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad." She walked towards the window, typing on a small device in her hands.

"You can't do that," the Doctor protested. "If they forced entry, they'd break quarantine."

"I am not dying in here," Clovis growled.

"We can't let a single particle of disease get out. There is ten million people in that city. They'd all be at risk. Now, turn that off!" The Doctor shouted angrily.

"Not if it gets me out," Clovis declared. I glared at her from my place in the back of my mind. I really wanted to rip the device out of her hands and smash it so she couldn't contact anyone.

"All right, fine. So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me," the Doctor said irritably. "Elena, Rose, Novice Hame, everyone! Excuse me, your Grace. Get me intravenous solutions for every single disease. Move it!" He ordered. Everyone in the room ran around, grabbing the various colorful drip bags. The Doctor grabbed a long piece on rope and tied it around himself. He started hanging the drip bags from the rope as people handed them to him. Cassandra and Rose dashed up to him, arms ladened with several drip bags.

"How's that? Will that do?" The Doctor asked as he placed the last of the bags on the rope tied around his torso.

"I don't know. Will it do for what?" Cassandra asked. The Doctor darted over to the elevator doors and opened them with his sonic. "The lifts aren't working," Cassandra reminded him as he poked his head through the doors.

"Not moving. Different thing," he replied, backing up. "Here we go." He stuck his sonic screwdriver between his teeth and ran towards the open elevator doors.

"But you're not going to..." Cassandra started. The Doctor jumped and grabbed the elevator cable.

"Doctor!" Rose cried in alarm.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Cassandra asked.

"I'm going down!" The Doctor replied, his words muffled by the sonic. He attached a round piece of equipment he had collected earlier to the cable. "Come on!"

"Not in a million years," Cassandra scoffed.

"I need another pair of hands. One of you has to come," the Doctor said.

"I'll keep an eye on Frau Clovis," Rose said before darting back into the ward.

"What do you think? If you're so desperate to stay alive, why don't you live a little?" The Doctor said, waggling his eyebrows at Cassandra.

"Seal the door!" Frau Clovis ordered. Cassandra glanced around nervously. She was now trapped between the elevator and the approaching diseased.

' _Movie it, Cassandra!_ ' I snapped. ' _I don't fancy becoming diseased._ '

Cassandra whimpered and bolted towards the elevator. "No!" She screamed as she jumped onto the Doctor's back. He grunted as she landed. "You're completely mad," Cassandra told him, wrapping her arms and legs around him. "I can see why she likes you."

"Going down!" Was the only warning the Doctor gave before he pressed a button on the round object he had put on the cable. They shot down the elevator shaft, Cassandra screaming and the Doctor cheering the whole way down. The Doctor pressed the brakes and they slowed, coming to a stop just above the elevator.

"Well, that's one way to lose weight," Cassandra said, adjusting her shirt.

"Now, listen. When I say so, take hold of that lever," the Doctor told her, pointing to said lever.

"There's still a quarantine down there, we can't-" Cassandra started, but was cut off by the Doctor,

"Hold that lever!" He snapped. "I'm cooking up a cocktail. I know a bit about medicine myself."

' _Considering you're called the Doctor, I would think so,_ ' I chuckled to myself. The Doctor took each of the drip bags, opened them, and dumped their contents into the disinfectant tank. The contents started bubbling as each new bag was added.

"Now, that lever's going to resist. But keep it in position. Hold onto it with everything you've got," the Doctor said, opening a hatch in the elevator.

"What about you?" Cassandra asked.

"I've got an appointment. The Doctor is in." He jumped down into the elevator. "I'm in here! Come on!" I heard him call to the diseased people.

"Don't tell them," Cassandra scolded.

"Pull that lever!" The Doctor told her. "Come and get me. Come on! I'm in here! Come on!" He encouraged the diseased. Cassandra pulled the lever.

" **Commence stage one disinfection,** " a computerized voice declared.

"Hurry up! Come on!" The Doctor said. The contents of the disinfectant tank poured out onto him. Cassandra struggled to keep the lever in check. "Come on, come on. All they want to do is pass it on. Pass it on!" The Doctor shouted encouragingly.

"Pass on what? Pass on what?" Cassandra shouted at him in confusion.

"Pass it on!" Once the disinfectant tank was empty, the Doctor helped Cassandra down through the hatch.

"What did they pass on? Did you kill them? All of them?" Cassandra asked a sopping wet Doctor.

' _That's not how the Doctor does things, Cassandra_ ,' I told her.

"No. That's your way of doing things," the Doctor said. He and Cassandra walked out into the lobby where the disease people were no longer diseased. "I'm the Doctor, and I cured them." A woman came up and hugged the Doctor. "That's right. Hey, there we go, sweetheart," he said softly, grinning and wrapping his arms around her. "Go to him. Go on, that's it. That's it." He directed her to one of the other previously diseased. "It's a new sub-species, Cassandra. A brand new form of life. New humans! Look at them. Look! Grown by cats, kept in the dark, fed by tubes, but completely, completely alive. You can't deny them, because you helped create them. The human race just keeps on going, keeps on changing. Life will out! Ha!" He laughed happily. My heart swelled with pride as I watched him move from person to person, making sure each was alright. It was no wonder he had managed to capture my heart. I mean, what girl wouldn't fall for him?

A while later, Cassandra and the Doctor arrived back in Ward 26 after the quarantine had been broken.

" **All staff will present themselves to the officers for immediate arrest. I repeat, immediate arrest. All new life forms will be catalogued and taken into care. All visitors to the hospital will be required to make a statement to the NNYPD** ," a computerized voice said.

"The Face of Boe!" The Doctor suddenly remembered. He took off down the ward, Cassandra following close behind. They entered the room where the Face of Boe was. Rose was standing at the window, but looked around when she heard the Doctor and Cassandra enter. She smiled and the Doctor smiled back before walking up Boe's tank. Boe was now awake and watched the Doctor as he approached,

"You were supposed to be dying," the Doctor told him wryly.

' _There are better things to do today. Dying can wait,_ ' the Face of Boe replied with his usual telepathy.

"Oh, I hate telepathy. Just what I need, a head full of big face," Cassandra said irritably.

"Shh!" The Doctor shushed her while Rose just glared.

' _I have grown tired with the universe, Doctor, but you and Elena have taught me to look at it anew_.'

"There are legends, you know, saying that you're millions of years old," the Doctor said, crouching down next to Boe's tank.

' _There are? That would be impossible_ ,' Boe chuckled

The Doctor chuckled. "Wouldn't it just. I got the impression there was something you wanted to tell me and Elena," the Doctor said. I mentally blinked in confusion. What did Jack have to tell me?

' _A great secret,_ ' Boe confirmed.

"So the legend says."

' _It can wait_ ,' Boe decided.

"Oh, does it have to?" The Doctor whined.

' _We shall meet again, Doctor, for the third time, for the last time, and the truth shall be told. Until that day._ '

' _Be prepared Els,_ ' Boe said in my mind as he beamed away. I quickly glanced around, but Cassandra appeared not to have noticed. ' _You're life is about to change_.' What did he mean my life is about to change? It already did when I arrived here. Then I remembered the fob watch that still hung around my neck. Did he mean that? Was the time to open the watch coming soon? I decided to worry about it later.

"That is enigmatic. That, that is, that is textbook enigmatic," the Doctor commented. He got to his feet and turned to Cassandra who was standing back, examining her nails intently. "And now for you."

"But everything's happy. Everything's fine. Can't you just leave me?" Cassandra asked hopefully.

' _I think not. I would rather like to have my body back please,_ ' I said.

"You've lived long enough," the Doctor told her softly. "Leave that body and end it, Cassandra."

"I don't want to die," Cassandra choked out, bringing a hand to her mouth.

"No one does," the Doctor said.

"Help me," Cassandra pleaded.

"I can't."

"Mistress!" Chip called, jogging up to us.

"Oh, you're alive," Cassandra gasped.

"I kept myself safe for you, mistress," Chip said happily.

"A body. And not just that, a volunteer," Cassandra realized.

"Don't you dare," the Doctor warned. "He's got a life of his own."

"But I worship the mistress," Chip argued. "I welcome her." Cassandra winked at the Doctor.

"You can't, Cassandra, you..." The Doctor started, but it was too late. Cassandra left my body and went into Chip's. I was shoved back into control of my body again. My legs gave out in protest. "Oh! You all right?" The Doctor asked in concern as he caught me.

"Yeah," I nodded, immediately regretting the movement as my head pounded. I tried to stand on my own, but my legs gave out again.

The Doctor caught me again. "Whoa! Okay?"

"Yeah," I repeated. I looked up at him and grinned. "Hello!"

The Doctor grinned back. "Hello. Welcome back." He gave me a quick peck on the lips and wrapped an arm protectively around my waist to keep me steady as I regained my bearings.

"Oh, gosh. I'm a walking doodle," Cassandra/Chip said, examining her arms.

"You can't stay in there. I'm sorry, Cassandra, but that's not fair," the Doctor said, his arm still wrapped around my waist. "I can take you to the city. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done."

"Well, that would be rather dramatic. Possibly my finest hour, and certainly my finest hat," she replied, touching the cap she wore, "but I'm afraid we don't have time. Poor little Chip is only a half-life, and he's been through so much. His heart is racing so." She paused to examine Chip's inner workings. "He's failing. I don't think he's going to last..." Cassandra gasped and collapsed to her knees. The Doctor and I caught her and held her steady. Rose stood behind us, eyeing Cassandra with concern.

"Are you all right?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm fine. I'm dying, but that's fine," Cassandra assured us with a tearful smile.

"I can take you to the city," the Doctor offered.

Cassandra shook her head. "No, you won't. Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for Chip and me any more. You're right, Doctor. It's time to die, and that's good."

"Come on," the Doctor said as he and I helped Cassandra to her feet. "There's one last thing I can do."

We took Cassandra to the party she said was the last time anyone told her she was beautiful, the one she was playing on the film. The Doctor, Rose, and I watched as Cassandra approached her younger, human self and told her she was beautiful. I watched with tears in my eyes as the current Cassandra in Chip's body collapsed and breathed her last. The young Cassandra cradled the older Cassandra/Chip's body in her arms and called for help. The Doctor ushered Rose and I back into the TARDIS and sent us back into the Time Vortex.

I sat on my bed, a pencil in my hand as I sketched. I was drawing the Doctor as he hugged the cured woman. I smiled fondly as I sketched. Thankfully, my headache had gone away. I heard a knock on my door and told whoever it was to come in. The Doctor opened the door and came in, shutting it behind him. I smiled as he approached and closed my sketch book, not wanting him to see what I was drawing.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he sat next to me.

"Much better now that Cassandra isn't sitting in my head," I said. He smiled and nodded. I tilted my head thoughtfully. "When exactly did you realize something was wrong with me?"

"Well," he started, rubbing the back of his neck, "I probably would have noticed when I talked to you on the phone, but I was a bit distracted at the time. I started suspecting after you said 'I can't Adam and Eve it'. The kiss confirmed my suspicions."

"You didn't expect me to kiss you?" I teased, raising an eyebrow.

He blushed lightly. "Well, not quite like that, no. We only just started a relationship. I would have expected a peck on the lips or cheek, but not something so sudden, and certainly not in public," he admitted.

I giggled. "I'll keep that in mind the next time I have a sudden urge to snog you."

The Doctor chuckled. He reached out a hand and placed it on my cheek, gazing at me softly. "I was worried about you," he said, gently running his thumb over the cheek bone.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I didn't mean to worry you, but I didn't want Rose to have to go through that."

"Try not to worry me like that again."

"I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best," I told him. He sighed, smiling at me softly. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. I closed my eyes and kissed back. My arms wound around his neck and he moved his hands to my waist, pulling me closer. I played with the hair at the nape of his neck and he moaned in content. I smirked against his lips. He pulled away and rested his forehead against mine.

"I love you," he said softly.

"I love you too," I replied, smiling. He kissed me again before getting up and walking to the door.

"Goodnight, Elena."

"Goodnight, Doctor."

* * *

 **Please review and let me know what you think.**


	17. Tooth and Claw

**Hello readers! I bring you the next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but my oc.**

* * *

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

I awoke to someone knocking on my bedroom door. I groaned and rolled over, hoping whoever it was would go away if I ignored them.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

Apparently I was wrong. I shoved my pillow on top of my head, trying to drown out the knocking.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Go away," I grumbled to the person at the door, throwing a pillow at the door. Whoever it was didn't listen and opened the door.

"Elena, it's time to get up," the Doctor said, poking his head around the door. "Rose is eager for our next adventure." I simply groaned and pulled my comforter over my head in protest. The Doctor didn't respond and for a moment I thought he had left. That thought was quickly rectified as the pillow I had thrown at the door landed on my face.

"Ooof!"

"Come on, Elena," the Doctor whined.

I sighed, knowing that I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep now. "Fine," I conceded, my voice muffled slightly by the pillow that was still laying over my face.

"Great! Meet you in the console room. Dress for the 1970s," the Doctor said excitedly. He darted back out of the room, closing the door behind him.

I tossed the pillow off my face and sat up. I stretched my arms above my head, popping my back. I sighed in relief and hopped out of bed. I wandered into my closet to pick out an outfit. I blinked at what I saw. My closet was filled with Victorian style dresses.

"Sexy, the Doctor said 1970s," I reminded the TARDIS.

' _I think you will find that these will be more appropriate,_ ' she hummed in reply.

I sighed. "Where going to end up in the 1870s aren't we?" She didn't respond so I took her silence as a yes. I searched through the multitude of dresses until I found one I liked. I smiled and pulled it out to try it on. I stood in front of the mirror, turning from side to side, admiring the dress. The dress was a rich cerulean blue. Half of the front down the middle had black flowers on it. All the edges had black lacing. I slipped on my purple Converse, knowing that it was inevitable that we would wind up running at some point. I decided to put my hair in a half up, half down style. The portion left down was wavy due to me leaving my hair in its braid last night. I grabbed a black cloak and headed to the console room.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," the Doctor greeted cheerfully as I entered the console room.

"Morning," I greeted back, walking up to him and giving him a quick peck on the lips. He placed his hands on my waist and pulled me in for another kiss.

"Get a room you two," Rose giggled. We pulled apart, the Doctor still keeping his hands on my waist.

"Sorry," I mumbled, blushing slightly. I hadn't even noticed she was there.

"I thought I told you we were going to the 1970s," the Doctor said, glancing at my outfit.

"You did, but Victorian style dresses were the only options the TARDIS gave me," I replied with a shrug.

"Strange," the Doctor muttered. He shrugged. "Ah, well. Listen to this." The Doctor flicked a switch. "Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Number One in 1979," the Doctor explained as the music played.

"You're a punk," Rose laughed.

"It's good to be a lunatic," the Doctor sang. He darted back to me and grabbed my hand. "Dance with me, Elena." I giggled as we danced around the console. He spun my around and dipped me, much like he had in his previous body. I laughed in delight. He pulled me back up and kissed me.

Rose laughed at our antics. "That's what you are. A big old punk with a bit of rockabillly thrown in."

"Would you like to see him?" The Doctor asked, grinning.

"How'd you mean? In concert?" Rose inquired.

"What else is a TARDIS for?" I said.

"I can take you to the Battle of Trafalgar, the first anti-gravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon," the Doctor suggested.

"The moon landing or the signing of the Declaration of Independence," I added.

"Or Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November, 1979," the Doctor finished. "What do you think?"

"Sheffield it is," Rose decided.

"Hold on tight," the Doctor said, setting the coordinates. He pulled out a hammer and beat the console to the rhythm of the song.

"Doctor, I really don't think the TARDIS likes it when you do that!" I shouted at him over the music. The TARDIS landed with a thud and we were thrown to the floor, laughing.

"Everyone alright," the Doctor asked, still laughing as he got to his feet.

"Yup," I replied, taking the hand he offered me.

"Yeah," Rose answered.

"1979. Heck of a year," the Doctor said excitedly, pulling Rose to her feet and grabbing his trench coat. "China invades Vietnam. The Muppet Movie. Love that film. Margaret Thatcher. Urgh. Skylab falls to Earth, with a little help from me. Nearly took off my thumb. And I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I'm very attached to..." The Doctor paused in his rambling as we exited the TARDIS and were met with rifles being cocked. "...My thumb," he finished. All three of us raised our hands slowly in surrender. We were surrounded by Redcoats, each with a gun pointed in our direction. "1879," the Doctor realized. He shrugged. "Same difference."

"Not really," I hissed at him, eyeing the guns pointed at my face.

"You will explain your presence," an officer riding a black horse asked in a Scottish accent. "And the nakedness of this girl." He gestured to Rose with his pistol. Rose was dressed in an overall dress that stopped about mid thigh. Underneath that, she wore a pink t-shirt and black tights. She had finished the look with a pair of black boots. I was really glad that the TARDIS had made me wear this dress.

"Are we in Scotland?" The Doctor asked, switching to a Scottish accent.

"How can you be ignorant of that?" The officer on the horse, Captain Reynolds, asked.

"Oh, I'm, I'm dazed and confused," the Doctor replied and I suppressed a giggle. "I've been chasing this, this wee naked child over hill and over dale." He looked at Rose. "Isn't that right, ya timorous beastie?"

"Och, aye! I've been oot and aboot," Rose said, trying and failing to imitate a Scottish accent.

"No, don't do that," the Doctor whispered to her.

"Hoots mon," Rose tried again.

"No, really don't. Really," the Doctor insisted.

"If I may speak," I said, looking at the Captain Reynolds for permission. He stared at me for a moment before nodding. "You must excuse the young woman. Her social skills leave something to be desired," I explained. The Doctor and Rose stared at me as I had just executed a perfect imitation of a Scottish accent.

The officer turned back to the Doctor. "Will you identify yourself and this young woman, sir?" The officer demanded.

"I'm Doctor James McCrimmon, and this is my fiancé, Elena, from the township of Balamory. I have my credentials, if I may." Captain Reynolds nodded. I lowered my head to hide my blush at being called his fiancé. The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out his psychic paper. He held it out for the officers to see. "As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself."

"Let them approach," an English accented voice ordered from the carriage.

"I don't think that's wise, ma'am," Captain Reynolds advised the voice.

"Let them approach," the voice insisted.

"You will approach the carriage, and show all due deference," Captain Reynolds ordered the Doctor, Rose, and I. We approached the carriage, Captain Reynolds never taking his eyes or his gun off us.

A footman opened the carriage door, revealing the owner of the voice. "Elena, Rose, might I introduce her Majesty Queen Victoria. Empress of India and Defender of the Faith," the Doctor said.

"Elena Jackson, your Majesty," I said with a curtsy.

"Rose Tyler, Ma'am," Rose said, also curtsying. "And my apologies for being so naked."

"I've had five daughters. It's nothing to me," the Queen dismissed. "But you, Doctor. Show me these credentials." The Doctor passed Queen Victoria his psychic paper. She looked at it for a moment. "Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my Protector."

"Does it?" The Doctor asked in confusion, taking back the psychic paper. He glanced at it. "Yes, it does. Good. Good," he said distractedly. "Then let me ask - why is Your Majesty traveling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?"

"A tree on the line," the queen replied.

"An accident?" The Doctor inquired.

"I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned."

"An assassination attempt," I suggested.

"What, seriously? There's people out to kill you?" Rose asked in shock.

"I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun," the Queen said.

"Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence," Captain Reynolds told Queen Victoria. "We've sent word ahead. He'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow."

"This Doctor, his fiancé, and their timorous beastie will come with us," the Queen declared. I blushed again.

The Captain nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. We'd better get moving - it's almost nightfall."

"Indeed. And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tales intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think. Drive on!" The Queen said. The footman closed the carriage door and the troop started walking. The Doctor, Rose, and I fell into step with the soldiers behind the carriage.

"Fiancé?" I whispered to the Doctor.

He shrugged. "Couldn't exactly call you my girlfriend. They didn't have that term in 1879," he explained. "Where did you learn to speak with a Scottish accent?"

"Quoting a lot of Scottish actor movie lines and listening to interviews," I told him. "The actor that plays this you in my world, David Tennant, is Scottish."

"Really?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

I nodded. "Mmhm. You should use a Scottish accent more often," I commented.

The Doctor gave me a confused look. "What for?"

"It sounds sexy," I replied, blushing slightly.

The Doctor blinked then smirked. "I'll keep that in mind."

"It's funny though," Rose said, interrupting the Doctor's and I's conversation, "because you say assassination and you just think of Kennedy and stuff. Not her."

"1879? She's had, oh, six attempts on her life?" The Doctor said thoughtfully. "And I'll tell you something else. We just met Queen Victoria!" He grinned.

"I know!" Rose giggled excitedly.

"What a laugh!"

"She was just sitting there," Rose said, still not quite believing that she met Queen Victoria.

"Like a stamp," the Doctor finished. I shook my head, smiling fondly at their excitement.

"I want her to say we are not amused. I bet you five quid I can make her say it," Rose challenged.

"Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privileges of traveller in time," the Doctor replied.

"Ten quid?" Rose bribed.

"Done." I rolled my eyes. So much for not abusing his privileges.

We arrived the house, entering the courtyard. It looked more like a mansion than a house. The stone building was huge. I looked up and spotted an astronomical observatory in the roof. The master of the house, Sir Robert, came out to meet the Royal procession, followed by several butlers.

"Your Majesty," Sir Robert greeted as Queen Victoria exited the carriage.

"Sir Robert. My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?" The Queen asked.

"She's indisposed, I'm afraid," he answered. "She's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her. The kitchens are barely stocked." He laughed nervously. "I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on." I narrowed my eyes at the butlers standing behind Sir Robert, knowing they were the cause of his discomfort.

"Oh, not at all," the Queen dismissed, not seeming to notice Sir Robert's underlying tone. "I've had quite enough carriage exercise. And this is charming, if rustic. It's my first visit to this house. My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate." My heart stopped. This is the place Torchwood begins. "Now, shall we go inside? And please excuse the naked girl," the queen said, gesturing to Rose.

"Sorry," Rose apologized, pulling at the bottom of her skirt embarrassingly.

"She's a feral child," the Doctor explained. "I bought her for sixpence in old London Town. It's was her or the Elephant Man, so..." He trailed off.

"Thinks he's funny but I'm so not amused," Rose told the Queen. "What do you think, Ma'am?"

"It hardly matters," Queen Victoria replied, glancing at Rose. "Shall we proceed?"

"So close," Rose whispered to the Doctor and I.

"Don't push it, Rose," I warned her as the Queen went inside. "She'll say it, just don't push it, okay?" Rose nodded, but grinned when she learned that she would win the bet. I wondered how she was going to react when she found out the Doctor didn't have any money.

"Makerson and Ramsey, you will escort the property," Captain Reynolds ordered two other soldiers. "Hurry up."

"Yes, sir," the soldiers replied. They took a small box from the carriage and carried it into the house.

"So what's in there, then?" The Doctor asked, following the box with his eyes.

"Property of the Crown," Captain Reynolds replied curtly. "You will dismiss any further thoughts, sir." He turned his attention to the remaining soldiers. "The rest of you go to the rear of the house. Assume your designated positions."

"You heard the orders. Positions," one soldier said.

"Sir," another soldier nodded. The soldiers assumed their positions. Captain Reynolds, the Doctor, Rose, and I followed the Queen into the house.

"This, I take it, is the famous Endeavour," Queen Victoria said, gazing at the massive bronze telescope as we entered the observatory.

"All my father's work. Built by hand in his final years," Sir Robert explained. "Became something of an obsession. He spent his money on this rather than caring for the house or himself."

"I wish I'd met him. I like him," the Doctor said wistfully. "That thing's beautiful. Can I?" He looked to Sir Robert for permission to examine the telescope.

Sir Robert nodded. "Help yourself."

The Doctor waisted no time in examining the telescope. "What did he model it on?"

Sir Robert shrugged. "I know nothing about it. To be honest, most of us thought him a little, shall we say, eccentric. I wish now I'd spent more time with him and listened to his stories."

"It's a bit rubbish," the Doctor commented as he continued to examine every inch of the bronze telescope. "How many prisms has it got? Way too many. The magnification's gone right over the top. That's stupid kind of..." He trailed off as he glanced at me. I stood next to him with my arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. "Am I being rude again? He asked quietly.

"Yes," I nodded. "And I have half a mind to smack you."

"But it's pretty. It's very pretty," he said quickly, hoping to avoid my wrath.

"And the imagination of it should be applauded," the Queen said.

Rose opened her mouth to say something, but I caught her eye and shook my head, silently telling her to keep her mouth shut. She closed her mouth. "It's a work of art," I said, looking back at the telescope.

"This device surveys the infinite work of God," the Queen agreed. "What could be finer? Sir Robert's father was an example to us all. A polymath, steeped in astronomy and sciences, yet equally well versed in folklore and fairytales."

"Stars and magic. I like him more and more," the Doctor grinned.

"Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company," the Queen said, smiling. "Prince Albert himself was acquainted with many rural superstitions, coming as he did from Saxe Coburg."

"That's Bavaria," the Doctor whispered to Rose and I.

"When Albert was told about your local wolf, he was transported," Queen Victoria informed Sir Robert.

"So, what's this wolf, then?" The Doctor asked.

"It's just a story," Sir Robert dismissed, looking rather uncomfortable.

"Then tell it," the Doctor insisted.

Sir Robert gulped. "It's said that-" He started, but was cut off my his butler, who was standing behind him.

"Excuse me, sir. Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark," the butler suggested,

"Of course. Yes, of course," Sir Robert replied nervously. I glared at the butler, remembering him to be one of the monks.

"And then supper," the Queen agreed. "And could we find some clothes for Miss Tyler? I'm tired of nakedness. Sir Robert, your wife must have left some clothes. See to it. We shall dine at seven, and talk some more of this wolf. After all, there is a full moon tonight," the Queen said excitedly.

"So there is, Ma'am," Sir Robert replied, not seeming as excited.

We were each escorted to our rooms. I stood in my room in front of the mirror, making sure I was presentable. I had taken off my cloak and was currently fixing my hair. I heard a knock at the door and the Doctor poked his head in.

"Ready?" He asked, coming into the room.

"Just about," I replied, replacing a strand of hair that had gotten out of place. I turned around once I was satisfied. "How do I look?"

The Doctor smiled softly, walking up to me. "Beautiful." He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on my lips. I wound my arms around his neck and he placed his hands on my waist and drew me closer to him.

"Come on," I said, pulling away. "We better head down for dinner, before the the Queen sends one of the butlers after us." He pouted, but nodded. I chuckled and gave him a quick peck on the lips. He held out his arm for me.

"My lady," he said. I smiled and took his arm.

We sat around the dinning table, the Doctor and I on one side and the Queen and Captain Reynolds on the other, with Sir Robert at the head. The head butler entered the room.

"Your companion begs an apology, Doctor. Her clothing has somewhat delayed her," he said.

"Oh, that's all right," the Doctor dismissed. "Save her a wee bit of ham." The Doctor didn't seem to be worried about Rose, but I could help but be worried for her. I knew everything turned out okay in the end, although there were some lives lost, which I intended to try and stop. The Doctor and Rose did wind up getting knighted and banished in the same day though. Maybe I could stop that too.

"The feral child could probably eat it raw," the Queen joked.

Captain Reynolds laughed, though it seemed somewhat forced. "Very wise, Ma'am. Very witty," he complimented.

"Slightly witty, perhaps. I know you rarely get the chance to dine with me, Captain, but don't get too excited. I shall contain my wit in case I do you further injury," Queen Victoria said.

Captain Reynolds lowered his head in embarrassment. "Yes, Ma'am. Sorry, Ma'am."

"Besides, we're all waiting on Sir Robert. Come, sir. You promised us a tale of nightmares," the Doctor said, placing his elbows on the table and clasping his hands together.

"Indeed. Since my husband's death, I find myself with more of a taste for supernatural fiction," the Queen said, smiling.

"You must miss him," the Doctor said softly.

"Very much," the Queen replied, her smile faltering. "Oh, completely. And that's the charm of a ghost story, isn't it? Not the scares and chills, that's just for children, but the hope of some contact with the great beyond. We all want some message from that place. It's the Creator's greatest mystery that we're allowed no such consolation. The dead stay silent, and we must wait. Come. Begin your tale, Sir Robert. There's a chill in the air. The wind is howling through the eaves. Tell us of monsters."

Sir Robert sighed. "The story goes back three hundred years. Every full moon, the howling rings through the valley. The next morning, livestock is found ripped apart and devoured."

"Tales like this just disguise the work of thieves," Captain Reynolds dismissed. "Steal a sheep and blame a wolf, simple as that."

"But sometimes a child goes missing," Sir Robert continued. "Once in a generation, a boy will vanish from his homestead."

"Are there descriptions of the creature?" I asked.

Sir Robert nodded. "Oh, yes. Drawings and woodcarvings. And it's not merely a wolf. It's more than that. This is a man who becomes an animal."

"A werewolf?" The Doctor wondered.

"My father didn't treat it as a story," Sir Robert said. "He said it was fact. He even claimed to have communed with the beast, to have learned its purpose. I should have listened," he said sadly. "His work was hindered. He made enemies. There's a monastery in the Glen of Saint Catherine. The Brethren opposed my father's investigations." The head butler walked to the window a gazed out at the full moon. He started chanting something, though I couldn't hear what it was.

"Doctor," I whispered to him, not taking my eyes of the butler. He ignored me, still listening intently to the conversation.

"Perhaps they thought his work ungodly," Queen Victoria suggested.

"That's what I thought. But now I wonder. What if they had a different reason for wanting the story kept quiet? What if they turned from God and worshipped the wolf?" Sir Robert said.

"Doctor," I said a bit louder, tugging on his sleeve urgently. The Doctor looked at me with a questioning gaze. I nodded with my head towards the chanting butler by the window.

"And what if they were with us right now?" The Doctor suggested as he looked at the butler.

Everyone else followed the Doctor and I's gaze. "What is the meaning of this?" The Queen demanded.

"Explain yourself, Sir Robert!" Captain Reynolds ordered.

"What's happening?" The Queen asked.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, they've got my wife," Sir Robert apologized.

"Rose!" The Doctor shouted, realizing our blonde companion was in trouble. "Where's Rose? Where is she? Sir Robert, come on!" He grabbed my hand and we bolted out of the room, leaving the Queen and Captain Reynolds behind.

Sir Robert led the Doctor and I to the cellar. The Doctor and Sir Robert kicked the door in. "Where the heck have you two been?" Rose asked us angrily. The Doctor didn't answer as he spotted the werewolf in a crate.

"Sorry, Rose," I apologized quickly.

"Oh, that's beautiful," the Doctor said, admiring the werewolf.

"Now's not the time, Doctor!" I scolded him.

"Come on, go. Get out!" Sir Robert shouted to his wife and the people who had been chained along with Rose. They waisted no time in obeying.

Our eyes widened as the werewolf started to break out of his cage. "Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out!" The Doctor yelled, ushering Rose and I out of the cellar.

"Come on," I urged. Rose ran out. I stopped at the door when I realized that the Doctor wasn't following. He was still admiring the werewolf. "Oh for goodness sake," I muttered in frustration. I ran back to him and grabbed his arm, attempting to tug him out of the room. He finally snapped out of his daze when the werewolf threw a piece of his cage at us. We ducked and the Doctor tugged me out of the cellar, locking the door behind us with his sonic screwdriver. We took off back the way we had come. I glanced back as the werewolf's howl echoed through the house.

We stopped to catch our breath and the Doctor took the chance to unlock Rose's shackles.  
"It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths. Did it say what it wanted?" He asked Rose.

"The Queen, the Crown, the throne - you name it," Rose answered. We heard a crash and the Doctor went to investigate. He came running back and grabbed Rose and I.

"Fire! Fire!" A man yelled. I flinched as the men fired their guns at the werewolf. The werewolf whined and ran back around the corner.

"All right, you men. We should retreat upstairs. Come with me," the Doctor ordered.

"I'll not retreat," the man who had given the order to fire refused. "The battle's done. There's no creature on God's Earth that could survive such an assault."

"I'm telling you, come upstairs!" The Doctor shouted at him.

"And I'm telling you, sir, I will sleep well tonight with that thing's hide upon my wall," the man declared.

I grabbed the man's arm firmly. "Guns can't stop it. Now do as the Doctor says and come with us," I told him.

The man jerked his arm from my grip and glared at me. "I will not take orders from a woman," the man growled. "I suggest you learn your place." The Doctor glared at the man and opened his mouth to reply, but I placed a hand on his arm and shook my head. The man walked down the corridor towards where the werewolf had gone. "It must have crawled away to die." Before I could do anything, the man was hoisted up to the ceiling.

"No!" I screamed. The Doctor grabbed my waist to keep me from running forward.

"There's nothing we can do!" He said, tugging me along. A few tears made their way down my cheeks, knowing that I couldn't save the man.

We ran by a staircase and saw Queen Victoria making her way down.

"Your Majesty? Your Majesty!" Sir Robert called.

"Sir Robert? What's happening?" The Queen asked. "I heard such terrible noises."

"Your Majesty, we've got to get out," Sire Robert urged. "But what of Father Angelo? Is he still here?"

"Captain Reynolds disposed of him," the Queen replied.

"The front door's no good, it's been boarded shut. Pardon me, Your Majesty. You'll have to leg it out of a window," the Doctor said. We ran into the drawing room.

"Excuse my manners, Ma'am, but I shall go first, the better to assist Her Majesty's egress," Sir Robert offered.

"A noble sentiment, my Sir Walter Raleigh," the Queen replied with a nod.

"Yeah, any chance you could hurry up?" The Doctor snapped, dropping his Scottish accent.

I elbowed him in the ribs. "Watch your accent," I warned. Sir Robert opened the window and made to climb out, bit quickly backed up as the monks outside fired at us. The Doctor shoved me behind him protectively.

"I reckon the monkey boys want us to stay inside," the Doctor muttered, readopting his Scottish accent.

"Do they know who I am?" Queen Victoria asked indignantly.

"Yeah, that's why they want you," I told her.

"The wolf's lined you up for a, a biting," Rose explained hesitantly.

"Stop this talk. There can't be an actual wolf," the Queen scoffed. She was proven wrong as a howl ripped through the house.

"What do we do?" Rose asked anxiously.

"We run," I replied simply.

"Is that it?" Rose questioned.

"You got any silver bullets?" The Doctor retorted.

"Not on me, no," Rose snapped.

"There we are then, we run. Your Majesty, as a Doctor, I recommend a vigorous jog," the Doctor said, jogging in place. "Good for the health. Come on!" We followed him up the staircase. "Come on! Come on!" The Doctor shouted as we heard the werewolf following.

The werewolf started closing in on us. Captain Reynolds turned around and shot at the werewolf. The werewolf howled in pain and retreated. "I'll take this position and hold it," Captain Reynolds said. "You keep moving, for goodness sake! Your Majesty, I went to look for the property and it was taken. The chest was empty."

"I have it. It's safe," the Queen assured him.

"Then remove yourself, Ma'am. Doctor, you stand as Her Majesty's Protector," Reynolds said. "And you, Sir Robert, you're a traitor to the crown."

"Bullets can't stop it!" The Doctor a protested.

"They'll buy you time. Now run!" Captain Reynolds insisted. The others ran, but I stayed.

"Please," I begged the Captain, "you can't stop it. Don't needlessly sacrifice yourself."

"It won't be needless if I can buy you some time," he replied. "Now go!" He pulled out his revolver as the werewolf rounded the corner. He emptied the gun into the wolf, but it hardly seemed to effect it. The werewolf jumped pounced on the Captain. I stood in shock, rooted to the spot. I had failed to save another life.

"Elena!" The Doctor shouted, running back out and grabbing me around the waist. He dragged me back into the library.

"Barricade the door," Sir Robert said. He and the Doctor hurried to block the door. Queen Victoria, Rose, and I stood off to the side.

"Wait a minute," the Doctor said quietly, holding up a hand. "Shush, shush, wait a minute." We stood stock still, all of us holding our breath. The werewolf let out a howl. "It's stopped." The werewolf sniffed at the door and wandered off. "It's gone."

"Listen," Rose said. We did and heard footsteps and growls as the werewolf attempted to find another way in.

"Is this the only door?" The Doctor asked.

Sir Robert nodded. "Yes." His eyes widened. "No!" He and the Doctor quickly barricaded the other door.

"Shush," Rose said. The werewolf continued to sniff at the walls, looking for a way in. "I don't understand. What's stopping it?"

"Something inside this room," the Doctor muttered thoughtfully. "What is it? Why can't it get in?"

"I'll tell you what, though," Rose said.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"Werewolf," Rose said excitedly.

"I know," the Doctor grinned. "You all right?"

Rose nodded. "I'm okay, yeah."

The Doctor turned to look at me. "You alright, Elena?" I didn't reply. I still hadn't moved from my spot. I stared at the door, my eyes filling with tears. Someone else had died and I had failed to save them. The Doctor walked over to stand in front of me. "Elena?" He asked, gently placing his hands on my arms.

I looked at him, unshed tears blurring my vision. "I couldn't save him," I whispered so quietly that the Doctor wouldn't have been able to hear me if it weren't for his heightened Time Lord hearing. "I tried, but he wouldn't listen. He's dead and it's my fault." Tears started running down my cheeks. The Doctor wrapped his arms around me, stroking my hair in an attempt to comfort me.

"Shush," he said quietly. "It's alright." He lifted my chin gently. "Hey, Captain Reynolds's death was not your fault and neither were any of the others, okay?" He told me firmly yet gently. I nodded tearfully. He smiled and wiped my tears off my cheeks with his thumb. "Good." He gave me a quick kiss.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. It's all my fault," Sir Robert said sadly, sitting down on a bench and placing his head in his hands. "I should have sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong. I thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, they were bald, athletic. Your wife's away, I just thought you were happy." I Gibb's slapped him. (Those of you who watch NCIS should understand this.) "Ow!" He complained, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'll tell you what though, Ma'am, I bet you're not amused now," Rose said. I groaned. I told her not to push it.

"Do you think this is funny?" The Queen asked her angrily.

"No, Ma'am. I'm sorry," Rose apologized, lowering her head.

"What, exactly, I pray tell me, someone, please. What exactly is that creature?" Queen Victoria questioned.

"You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's a more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform," the Doctor explained.

"And should I trust you, sir? You who change your voice so easily?" The Queen accused. "What happened to your accent?" In our haste to get away from the werewolf I had failed to notice the Doctor had dropped his Scottish accent again. She apparently hadn't noticed that I had dropped my Scottish accent after Captain Reynolds's death.

"Oh right, sorry, that's..." The Doctor tried to explain his slip up.

"I'll not have it. No, sir," the Queen said firmly. "Not you, not that thing, none of it. This is not my world."

The Doctor noticed a carving of mistletoe by the door. "Mistletoe. Sir Robert, did your father put that there?" He asked.

"I don't know. I suppose," Sir Robert replied.

"On the other door, too. No, a carving wouldn't be enough. I wonder," the Doctor muttered. I pulled a disgusted face as the Doctor licked the door. "Viscum album, the oil of the mistletoe. It's been worked into the wood like a varnish. How clever was your dad? I love him. Powerful stuff, mistletoe. Bursting with lectins and viscotoxins."

"And the wolf's allergic to it?" Rose asked.

"Well, it thinks it is," the Doctor said.

"It's the monks way of controlling the wolf," I explained. "They probably trained it to react against certain substances such as mistletoe."

"Nevertheless, that creature won't give up, Doctor, and we still don't possess an actual weapon," Sir Robert pointed out.

"Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?" The Doctor sighed.

I Gibb's slapped him again. "Being rude again," I told him.

"Good. I meant that one," the Doctor retorted, rubbing the back of his head. "You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world." He walked over to one of the many shelves filled with books and slipped on his brainy specks. "This room's the greatest arsenal we could have." He pulled a book of the shelf and tossed it to me. "Arm yourself." Everyone began pulling books off the shelves, hoping to find something to help us defeat the werewolf.

"Biology, zoology," Rose mumbled, flipping through pages. "There might be something on wolves in here."

"Hold on, what about this?" The Doctor pulled out another book. "A book on mistletoe."

"A book on magic," I said, quickly flipping through the book.

"Some form of explosive," Sir Robert suggested, flipping through his own book.

"Hmm, that's the sort of thing," the Doctor muttered.

"Wolf's bane, what about that?" Rose asked hopefully.

I pulled yet another book off the shelf. "Here we go," I said, handing the book to the Doctor. He quickly scanned the page I had indicated and grinned.

"Brilliant!" He said, kissing my forehead appreciatively. He placed the book on the table so the others could see. "Look what your old dad found. Something fell to Earth."

"A spaceship?" Rose asked.

"A shooting star," Sir Robert corrected. "In the year of our Lord 1540, under the reign of King James the Fifth, an almighty fire did burn in the pit," he read. "That's the Glen of Saint Catherine just by the monastery."

"But that's over three hundred years ago," Rose noted. "What's it been waiting for?"

"Maybe just a single cell survived. Adapting slowly down the generations, it survived through the humans, host after host after host," the Doctor suggested.

"But why does it want the throne?" Sir Robert questioned.

"That's what it wants. It said so," Rose insisted. "The, the Empire of the Wolf."

"Imagine it," the Doctor breathed. "The Victorian Age accelerated. Starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam, leaving history devastated in its wake."

"Sir Robert. If I am to die here," the Queen said.

"Don't say that, Your Majesty," Sir Robert interrupted.

"I would destroy myself rather than let that creature infect me," she finished. "But that's no matter. I ask only that you find some place of safekeeping for something far older and more precious than myself."

"Hardly the time to worry about your valuables," the Doctor pointed out.

"Thank you for your opinion," the Queen snapped, "but there is nothing more valuable than this." She pulled out the largest diamond I had ever seen from her purse.

"Is that the Koh-I-Noor?" Rose gasped.

The Doctor nodded. "Oh, yes. The greatest diamond in the world."

"Given to me as the spoils of war," the Queen explained. "Perhaps its legend is now coming true. It is said that whoever owns it must surely die."

"Well, that's true of anything if you own it long enough. Can I?" The Doctor asked, holding out his hand for the diamond. The Queen hesitated before handing it over. The Doctor slid his glasses down the bridge of his nose to better examine the diamond. "That is so beautiful."

"How much is that worth?" Rose asked, reaching out a finger to touch the jewel.

"They say the wages of the entire planet for a whole week," the Doctor replied.

"Good job my mum's not here. She'd be fighting the wolf off with her bare hands for that thing," Rose said.

"And she'd win," I said, giggling. The Doctor chuckled.

Sir Robert glanced around nervously. "Where is the wolf? I don't trust this silence."

"Why do you travel with it?" The Doctor asked the Queen, ignoring Sir Robert's question.

"My annual pilgrimage. I'm taking it to Helier and Carew, the Royal Jewelers at Hazelhead. The stone needs recutting," the Queen answered.

"Oh, but it's perfect," Rose protested.

"My late husband never thought so," the Queen replied.

"Now, there's a fact. Prince Albert kept on having the Koh-I-Noor cut down. It used to be forty percent bigger than this," the Doctor explained. "But he was never happy. Kept on cutting and cutting."

The Queen nodded. "He always said the shine was not quite right. But he died with it still unfinished," she said sadly.

"Unfinished," the Doctor mumbled. His eyes suddenly widened. "Oh, yes." He tossed the precious diamond back to the Queen, who caught it in surprise. "There's a lot of unfinished business in this house. His father's research, and your husband, Ma'am, he came here and he sought the perfect diamond. Hold on, hold on. All these separate things, they're not separate at all, they're connected. Oh, my head, my head," the Doctor babbled, smacking the top of his head. "What if this house, it's a trap for you. Is that right, Ma'am?"

"Obviously," the Queen replied.

"At least, that's what the wolf intended. But, what if there's a trap inside the trap?"

"Explain yourself, Doctor," the Queen demanded.

"What if his father and your husband weren't just telling each other stories. They dared to imagine all this was true, and they planned against it, laying the real trap not for you but for the wolf," the Doctor said excitedly. I sneezed as dust fell from the ceiling onto my nose. Everyone went quiet and looked up. The werewolf was climbing on top of the domed skylight. "That wolf there." The glass cracked. "Out! Out! Out!" The Doctor shouted. We quickly unblocked the door and ran out just as the werewolf came crashing through the ceiling. The Doctor slammed the doors shut behind us.

"Your Majesty!" Sir Robert called.

"Get to the observatory!" The Doctor shouted. I was lagging a bit behind, my dress weighing me down. I screamed in terror as the werewolf bore down on me. Suddenly, Isobel, Sir Robert's wife, came running around the corner and tossed a pot of liquid on the wolf. It howled in pain and retreated.

"Are you okay?" The Doctor asked me in concern. I nodded, not trusting my voice at the moment. "Good shot," he complimented Isobel.

"It was mistletoe," one of the maids that had come with Isobel said.

"Isobel!" Sir Robert cried in relief. He ran up and kissed his wife. "Now, get back downstairs."

"Keep yourself safe," Isobel told him, kissing her husband again.

"Now go," Sir Robert urged.

"Girls, come with me. Down the back stairs, back to the kitchens. Quickly!" Isobel said. The maids followed her.

"Come on!" The Doctor yelled impatiently.

"The observatory's this way," Sir Robert said, running ahead of us.

We reached the observatory. "No mistletoe in these doors because your father wanted the wolf to get inside," the Doctor said. He turned to Sir Robert who hadn't followed us in. "I just need time. Is there any way of barricading this?"

"Just do your work and I'll defend it," Sir Robert said.

"If we could bind them shut with rope or something," the Doctor insisted.

"I said I'd find you time, Sir. Now get inside," Sir Robert ordered.

The Doctor nodded. "Good man." He ran into the observatory and shut the doors. "Your Majesty, the diamond."

"For what purpose?" The Queen asked suspiciously.

"The purpose it was designed for," the Doctor said. The Queen reluctantly handed over the diamond. "Elena, Rose." He went over to the control wheel and started to turned it, slowly raising the telescope. "Lift it. Come on."

"Is this the right time for stargazing?" Rose inquired, running over to help the Doctor. I, however, remained in my spot in front of the doors. I wasn't going to let the werewolf kill Sir Robert if I could help it.

"Yes it is," the Doctor answered. "Elena, get over here. We need your help." I ignored him and listened to Sir Robert standing just outside the door.

"I committed treason for you, but now my wife will remember me with honor!" I heard him yell. I threw the door open, grabbed Sir Robert by the back of his coat, yanked him inside, and slammed to door.

"I am not having someone else die on my watch," I said. Sir Robert stared at me from his spot on the floor in surprise. I nodded in satisfaction and ran over to help the Doctor and Rose, who were still struggling with the telescope.

"You said this thing doesn't work," Rose reminded the Doctor.

"It doesn't work as a telescope because that's not what it is. It's a light chamber. It magnifies the light rays like a weapon. We've just got to power it up," the Doctor said, grunting at the effort of turning the wheel.

"It won't work. There's no electricity," Rose protested. "Moonlight. But the wolf needs moonlight. It's made by moonlight."

"You're seventy percent water but you can still drown," the Doctor pointed out. "Come on! Come on!" We finally got the telescope into position and the moon shone into the lens. The werewolf smashed through the door and went for the Queen. The Doctor slid the diamond across the floor towards the spot of moonlight on the floor. The light refracted upward, catching the werewolf and lifting it up. The werewolf turned back into the man he was before.

"Make it brighter. Let me go," the man begged softly. The Doctor adjusted the magnification. The man turned back into the wolf, let out a howl, and vanished. I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. I turned to Rose and we grinned at each other. We hugged each other, giggling in relief. I let go of Rose and ran over to the Doctor and threw my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. He set me down and captured my lips against his. He pulled back and smiled at me, lifting a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. He glanced over at Queen Victoria to make sure she was alright. I looked over as well and noticed she was examining something on her wrist.

"Your Majesty? Did it bite you?" The Doctor asked cautiously.

"No, it's, it's a cut, that's all," the Queen dismissed.

"If that thing bit you..."

"It was a splinter of wood when the door came apart. It's nothing," she insisted.

The Doctor walked to stand in front of her. "Let me see," he said, reaching out to take the Queen's hand.

She jerked back. "It is nothing," she repeated firmly. The Doctor eyed her, unconvinced, but dropped the subject.

After the whole scare with the wolf, everyone was exhausted. The rest of the monks had been taken care of. It had taken the rest of the night to get everything back in order. Queen Victoria decided to give the Doctor, Rose, and I knighthoods. We knelt in front of the Queen in the drawing room in the presence of the whole Torchwood household. Isobel stood next to her husband, Sir Robert's arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Isobel had thanked me profusely for saving her husband's life and told me I would always be welcome at the Torchwood estate.

"By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Sir Doctor of TARDIS," the Queen said, touching the edge of the sword she held to each of the Doctor's shoulders. "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Dame Elena of TARDIS." She touched my shoulders with the sword like she had with the Doctor. I bowed my head respectfully, and in doing so I didn't notice the Doctor gazing at me proudly. "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Dame Rose of the Powell Estate. You may stand."

"Many thanks, Ma'am," the Doctor said as we got to our feet.

"Thanks. They're never going to believe this back home," Rose said excitedly.

"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving no message from the great beyond. I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now, Ma'am, from beyond the grave," the Doctor told the Queen softly.

"Indeed. Then you may think on this also. That I am not amused," the Queen said furiously.

The Doctor groaned. "Yes!" Rose laughed in delight. I rolled my eyes.

"Not remotely amused," he Queen repeated angrily. "I would have banished you, but your fiancé convinced me otherwise." I had gone to the Queen earlier to apologize that I had been unable to save Captain Reynolds. She had told me that he had made his choice and would be remembered with honor. She had then told me that she planned to knight the Doctor, Rose, and I, but would also banish Rose and the Doctor. I had begged her not to banish them and she has reluctantly agreed, under one condition.

"I'm sorry?" The Doctor asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"I rewarded you, Sir Doctor, and you would have been exiled from this empire, never to return if it wasn't for your fiancé," the Queen replied. "I don't know what you are, the three of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars and magic and think it fun. Dame Elena seemed to be the only one who understood the gravity of the situation. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death, and I will not allow it. You will leave this shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you came to stray so far from all that is good, and how much longer you will survive this terrible life. Should either of you return without Dame Elena, you will have to face the consequences. Now leave my world." She finished.

The Doctor, Rose, and I hitched a ride back to the TARDIS on a cart. "Whoa!" The driver of the cart, Dougal, told his horse. We hopped off the cart.

"Cheers, Dougal!" The Doctor called.

"Walk on," Dougal told his horse.

"No, but the funny thing is, Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood. It's historical record," the Doctor explained and we walked back to the TARDIS. "She was hemophiliac. They used to call it the Royal Disease. But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it, her dad didn't have it. It came from nowhere."

"What, and you're saying that's a wolf bite?" Rose asked.

"Well, maybe hemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism," the Doctor suggested.

"For werewolf?" Rose inquired.

The Doctor shrugged. "Could be."

"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?"

"Could be. And her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip," the Doctor said.

"So, the Royal Family are werewolves?"

"Well, maybe not yet. I mean, a single wolf cell could take a hundred years to mature. Might be ready by, oh, early 21st century?" The Doctor guessed.

"Nah, that's just ridiculous!" Rose laughed. Then she thought for a moment. "Mind you, Princess Anne."

"I'll say no more," the Doctor said.

"And if you think about it, they're very private. They plan everything in advance. They could schedule themselves around the moon. We'd never know. And they like hunting!" Rose noted. The Doctor opened the TARDIS door and we walked in. "They love blood sports. Oh my gosh, they're werewolves!" Rose exclaimed. Chuckling, the Doctor sent the TARDIS into the Time Vortex. He walked over to where I sat on the captain's chair.

"You alright?" He asked gently. "You've been very quiet." He was right. After we had been knighted, I hadn't said a word, lost in my own world.

I glanced down at my hands. I had taken off my fob watch and was stroking the intricate Gallifreyan circles. "It said it was time," I said softly.

"What?" The Doctor asked, not sure he had heard me right.

"The watch. It said it was time to open it," I repeated.

"When?"

"Right after we got rid of the werewolf," I told him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The Doctor asked.

I closed my eyes and sighed. "I was scared. I still am," I admitted.

"Elena," the Doctor said, gently lifting my chin he could look into my eyes, "it's okay to be scared." He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. "I will be right here with you."

"But what if you don't love me anymore after I change?" I asked.

The Doctor gazed at me softly. "I will always love you. No matter what happens." I looked into his eyes and saw that he meant it.

"What's going on?" Rose asked, approaching us.

"Elena's a Time Lady," the Doctor said.

Rose blinked in shock. "What?"

"The fob watch she wears contains the conscience of a Time Lord. Time Lords have the ability to store the conscience away in a fob watch if they want to avoid detection," the Doctor explained.

"And you're saying that Elena is one of those Time Lords?" Rose inquired. The Doctor nodded. "But that's great! That means you won't be the only one of your kind anymore," Rose said, smiling.

"Yes, but everything that makes her Elena will disappear, replaced by whichever Time Lord, or in this case, Lady is in the watch," the Doctor said.

"Oh," Rose said, her smile fading.

"The watch said it's time to open it, but I afraid of who I might become," I confessed.

Rose placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "We will stand by you, whatever happens," she assured me. I smiled at her.

I looked back to the watch in my hand, but still didn't make a move to open it. The Doctor's hand covered my own. I looked up at him. "You don't have to open it if you're not ready," he told me softly.

I shook my head. "No, you have been the only one of your kind for too long. I think it's time you had some company."

The Doctor gazed at me softly. "Together then?" He asked.

I nodded. "Together." I took in a deep breath and together, the Doctor and I opened the watch.

I gasped and closed my eyes as memories streamed into my head. I remembered everything. The day I looked into the Untempered Schism. The excitement of my first day at the Time Lord Academy. The day my brother introduced me to the Doctor. All the days my brother, the Doctor, and I spent playing together. The days the Doctor and I spent relaxing together under a large tree on a hill. The Doctor and I's first kiss. How crushed I felt when the Doctor stole a TARDIS to go traveling and my parents refused to allow me to go with him. The years I spent tending to the TARDISes on my family's farm. The joy I felt every time the Doctor came back to Gallifrey just to see me. The excitement and longing to join the Doctor as he recounted his adventures. The day the Time War began. The years spent repairing TARDISes for the war. Saying goodbye to the Doctor before my parents sent me away from Gallifrey. Falling through a crack in the universe and crashing to Earth in my TARDIS. The pain I experienced as I regenerated after crashing. Locking my Time Lord conscience in my fob watch and panicking as something went wrong. I gasped and stumbled out of the captain's chair as the flood of memories stopped.

"Elena?" The Doctor asked in concern. I leaned against the console for support as I regained my bearings. I looked up and stared at the Doctor as if seeing him for the first time.

' _Theta,_ ' I said softly in the Doctor's mind. His eyes widened in surprise, knowing only one Time Lady who knew his name.

' _Aryia?!_ ' He gasped.

I grinned at my childhood friend who, over the years had come to mean so much more to me. "Doctor," I said out loud.

The Doctor grinned back. "Wonder!" He shouted happily. We ran towards each other and embraced, laughing ecstatically. The Doctor buried his face in my hair and gripped me tighter, never wanting to let go. He pulled back slightly only to quickly capture my lips in a passionate kiss. I eagerly returned this kiss. I wound my arms around his neck and he placed his hands on my waist, pulling me closer to deepen the kiss. We broke apart, both of us gasping for air despite our respiratory bi-pass systems. Rose just stood there glancing back and forth between us in confusion.

The Doctor brushed some of my hair back behind my ear and left his hand on my cheek, stroking it with his thumb. "I thought I would never see you again," he whispered, a single tear making its way down his cheek. It wasn't a tear a sadness though, it was a tear of joy.

I reached up and wiped the tear away with my thumb. "You weren't the only one," I told him quietly, my own tears sliding down my cheeks. I pulled him down for another kiss, this one a bit softer. We pulled apart and rested our foreheads together. We looked up when Rose cleared her throat, both of us having forgotten she was there.

"Can someone explain what just happened?" Rose asked.

The Doctor grinned and wrapped an arm around my waist, not planning to let go any time soon, not that I minded of course. "Rose, I would like you to meet Wonder."

"Wonder?" Rose asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion. I waved cheerfully.

"That's her name," the Doctor explained, still grinning. "We grew up together on Gallifrey."

"So," Rose started slowly, "you're a Time Lord now?" She asked me.

"Time Lady actually," I corrected.

"What happened to Elena?" Rose asked hesitantly.

"Oh, she's still here," I said, tapping the side of my head. "I will still have some of her personality. She was just as much a part of me as I was of her."

"Your name is Wonder now, then?"

"Yup," I replied, popping the 'p'. "Though you can still call me Elena if you want. It was the alias I came up with, much how the Doctor calls himself John Smith when he tries to pass as human."

"Oi!" The Doctor protested. "What do you mean 'tries'?"

"According to the the stories you told me about your adventures, you were never very good at passing as human," I told him. The Doctor pouted and Rose giggled. Suddenly, I felt dizzy and I swayed before my knees gave way. Thankfully, the Doctor still had an arm wound tightly around my waist so he kept me from collapsing.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked anxiously.

"Her body's not used to having a Time Lord conscience in it," the Doctor explained, picking me up bridal style. "She just needs a bit of rest." He carried me back to my room, which the TARDIS had moved closer to the console room for him. The door swung open and he sat me on my bed carefully. He rummaged in my dresser drawers for some pajamas and pulled out a pair of gray sweatpants with Stitch all over them and a gray shirt with a picture of Lilo kissing Stitch on the cheek on the front. He handed them to me and kissed me on the forehead before making to leave the room.

I caught his sleeve and he turned back to look at me. "Will you stay with me tonight?" I asked quietly.

He smiled softly. "Yes, but let me go check on Rose and change into some pjs." I nodded and he left the room.

I managed to get out of my dress and slipped on my pjs. I padded into the bathroom to brush my teeth, holding onto the wall so I didn't collapse. The Doctor returned a few minutes later wearing a pair of blue plaid lounge pants and a gray t-shirt. I was already sitting under the covers. He came over to the bed and crawled under the covers with me. He wrapped his arms around me and drew me to his chest, placing his chin on the top of my head.

"How's Rose?" I asked.

"Exhausted, but that's to be expected after yesterday's adventure," the Doctor replied. "I thought she took the whole Time Lady thing rather well."

"She did." We were both silent for a moment, enjoying the feel of each other's company once again. "I missed you, Theta," I said quietly.

"I missed you too, Aryia. And now that I've got you back, I'm never letting you go again." I titled my head to look at him. I smiled and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too," he answered, kissing the top of my head. I closed my eyes and let the sound of the Doctor's double heart beat lull me to sleep.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Please review and let me know.**

 **Note: If anyone wants to illustrate any scene from this story, please let me know and I would be happy to give you more details. I would actually love to see someone illustrate a scene or two as I suck at drawing.**


	18. School Reunion

**Hello readers! I want to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews. It's good to know people like my , I know you guys want to read the chapter so without further ado, here's School Reunion.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but my oc.**

* * *

"Do I really have to wear these?" I whined at the Doctor, tugging at the black pumps I was wearing. Rose had gotten a call from Mickey, saying there was something going on at a school. The Doctor had managed to get us and Rose a job at the school so we could investigate. The Doctor was posing as a Physics teacher and I was his assistant.

"Yes," he replied as we walked down the hallway to the classroom. "You're supposed to be playing the part."

I sighed. "I know, but couldn't I have dressed in something a bit more comfortable? I could have worn flats you know." I was currently dressed in a knee length, black skirt and a purple blouse and 2-inch heels.

"I think you look beautiful," the Doctor told me, kissing my temple.

"Why couldn't I be beautiful in flats?" I whined, tucking a strand of hair that had fallen out of its clip behind my ear. "Besides you're wearing Converse. No one wears Converse with a suit."

"Well they should. It's a great fashion statement," the Doctor said, stopping at our classroom door. He opened the door and waltzed in and placed his briefcase on the desk. "Good morning, class. Are we sitting comfortably?" He grinned at the class. The kids, who all looked way too young to be in a physics class, simply stared at the Doctor. I sat myself down on the desk. The Doctor turned towards the whiteboard behind him and grabbed a marker. He wrote 'physics' on the board. "So," he said, tossing the marker onto the desk beside me, "physics. Physics, eh? Physics. Physics. Physics! Physics. Physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics," he finished his monologue. "I hope one of you is getting all this down. Okay let's see what you know." He started pacing in front of his desk. "Two identical strips of nylon are charged with static electricity and hung from a string so they can swing freely. What would happen if they were brought near each other?" A young kid in the front row raised his hand. "Yes, er, what's your name?" The Doctor asked, leaning back against the desk.

"Milo," the boy answered.

"Milo! Off you go."

"They'd repel each other because they have the same charge," Milo said.

"Correctamundo!" The Doctor said and I giggled quietly. "A word I have never used before and hopefully never will again. Question two." The Doctor started pacing again. "I coil up a thin piece of microwire and place it in a glass of water. Then I turn on the electricity and measure to see if the water's temperature is affected. My question is this. How do I measure the electrical power going into the coil?" Milo raised his hand again. "Someone else," the Doctor said, glancing around at the class. No one else raised their hands. In fact, they all looked rather bored. "No? Okay, Milo, go for it."

"Measure the current and PDs in an ammeter and a voltmeter," he answered.

"Two to Milo. Right then, Milo, tell me this. True or false. The greater the dampening of the system, the quicker it loses energy to its surroundings."

"False."

"What is non-coding DNA?"

"DNA that doesn't code for a protein." What was with this kid?

"Sixty five thousand nine hundred and eighty three times five?"

"Three hundred and twenty nine thousand nine hundred and fifteen."

"How do you travel faster than light?" I smirked. Let's see Milo answer that one.

"By opening a quantum tunnel with an FTL factor of thirty six point seven recurring," Milo answered without missing a beat. The Doctor and I's jaws dropped.

' _How does he know that?_ ' I asked the Doctor. ' _There is no way he should know that!_ '

' _I know,_ ' the Doctor replied. ' _I think Mickey was right. There seems to be something weird going on here._ '

The Doctor spent the rest of the class time teaching. The students rushed out of the classroom when the bell rung for lunch break. The Doctor and I made our way to the cafeteria and stood in the lunch line. Fries were slapped onto my tray and next some type of mash. I glanced up to see Rose glowering at the Doctor and I. I smiled apologetically and walked off to find a table. I popped a fry in my mouth and immediately grimaced at the odd tasted.

"Something wrong?" The Doctor asked as he sat down next to me.

"No, it's just the fries, sorry, chips, taste a bit funny," I said, trying another fry just in case it was just the one fry that tasted funny. I stuck out my tongue in disgust. Nope, it wasn't just that one.

He popped a fry in his mouth. "You're right," he concluded, swallowing. "They do taste a bit off. Bad batch?" He wondered. Rose came over a couple of minutes later to wipe the table.

"Two days," she growled.

"Sorry, could you just? There's a bit of gravy," the Doctor gestured to a spot on the table with a fork. "No, no, just, just there."

Rose glared at him. "Two days, we've been here," Rose repeated.

The Doctor shrugged. "Blame your boyfriend. He's the one who put us onto this."

"And he was right," I added. "Boy in class this morning, got a knowledge way beyond planet Earth."

"You eating those chips?" Rose asked.

I slid my tray over to her. "Have at 'um."

"Yeah, they're a bit different," the Doctor said, inspecting the fry he had impaled on his fork.

"I think they're gorgeous," Rose said, sitting down across from us and stuffing a fry in her mouth. "Wish I had school dinners like this."

"It's very well behaved, this place," the Doctor noted.

"Mmm," Rose hummed, still stuffing her face with fries.

"I thought there'd be happy slapping hoodies. Happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs. Happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones. Huh? Huh? Oh, yeah. Don't tell me I don't fit in," the Doctor grinned. I just chuckled and shook my head.

The head dinner lady stalked over to our table. "You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting," she snapped at Rose.

"I was just talking to this teacher and his assistant," Rose said.

The Doctor and I waved. "Hello," the Doctor greeted cheerfully.

"They don't like the chips," Rose whispered.

"The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance. Now, get back to work," the head dinner lady snapped before walking off.

Rose sighed and stood up. "See? This is me. Dinner lady," she muttered as she headed back to her station.

"I'll have the crumble," the Doctor called after her.

"And I'll have the rhubarb pie," I added.

"I'm so going to kill you," Rose chuckled.

A dark skinned teacher walked over to a girl with a pony tail. "Melissa. You'll be joining my class for the next period. Milo's failed me, so it's time we moved you up to the top class," the man said. The Doctor and I eyed the man carefully "Kenny, not eating the chips?"

"I'm not allowed," Kenny muttered.

"Luke. Extra class. Now," the teacher snapped. Melissa and Luke followed the man out of the cafeteria. The Doctor and I exchanged looks.

"I think we need to talk to the other teachers," I told the Doctor quietly.

"I think you're right," he said. We stood up, dumped our untouched trays and headed to the staff room.

"Yesterday, I had a twelve year old girl give me the exact height of the Walls of Troy in cubits," one of the teachers, Mr. Parsons, told us.

"And, it's ever since the new headmaster arrived?" I asked, munching on a bag of trail mix the Doctor had found in his pocket.

"Finch arrived three months ago. Next day, half the staff got flu," Mr. Parsons explained. "Finch replaced them with that lot, except for the teacher you replaced, and that was just plain weird, her winning the lottery like that."

The Doctor reached over and grabbed a small handful of trail mix from my bag. "How's that weird?" He asked.

"She never played. Said the ticket was posted through her door at midnight," Mr. Parsons replied.

"Hmm. The world is very strange," the Doctor muttered, sharing a knowing look with me.

The door opened and Mr. Finch walked in with a woman who reminded me of someone the Doctor had told me about. "Excuse me, colleagues. A moment of your time. May I introduce Miss Sarah Jane Smith." My eyes widened at the name. I glanced at the Doctor to find him staring at her, a disbelieving smile in his face. "Miss Smith is a journalist who's writing a profile about me for the Sunday Times. I thought it might be useful for her to get a view from the trenches, so to speak. Don't spare my blushes." Mr. finch left, leaving Sarah Jane behind.

She glanced around for a moment before spotting the Doctor and I staring at her. "Hello," she greeted, walking up to us.

The Doctor grinned. "Oh, I should think so."

"And, you are?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Hm?" The Doctor blinked, forgetting that he had regenerated several times since she had last seen him. "Er, Smith. John Smith. And this is Elena Jackson," he introduced, wrapping an arm around my waist.

I waved cheerfully at her. "Hello."

"John Smith. I used to have a friend who sometimes went by that name," Sarah Jane commented, crossing her arms.

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, it's a very common name."

Sarah Jane smiled fondly. "He was a very uncommon man. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you. Yes, very nice. More than nice. Brilliant," the Doctor said, barely able to contain his excitement at meeting a former companion again.

"Er, so, er, have you worked here long?" Sarah Jane asked.

I shook my head. "No. It's only our second day," I answered, not sure if I trusted the Doctor not to blow our cover at this point.

"Oh, you're new, then," she realized. "So, what do you think of the school? I mean, this new curriculum? So many children getting ill. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"You don't sound like someone just doing a profile," the Doctor noted.

Sarah Jane shrugged. "Well, no harm in a little investigation while I'm here."

"No. Good for you," the Doctor said. Sarah Jane smiled and moved off to talk to some of the other teachers. The Doctor grinned after her. "Good for you. Oh, good for you, Sarah Jane Smith."

"I can't believe it," I whispered in barely contained excitement. "I just met Sarah Jane Smith!"

After school was over the Doctor, Rose, Mickey, and I hid in the TARDIS, which had been stashed away in a supply closet. I changed into something more comfortable, which consisted of navy blue, three-quarter sleeved shirt, my usual leather jacket, and combat boots. I had tried to remember what happened in this episode, but it seemed that my knowledge of the show had been locked away after I became a Time Lady again. I guess my Time Lady mind deemed it too dangerous for me to know. Oh well, at least that meant that I could have the thrill of figuring stuff out rather than already knowing what was going to happen. Anyway, once it was dark outside we left the TARDIS to do some investigating.

"Oh, it's weird seeing school at night," Rose shuddered as we walked out into the dark hallway. "It just feels wrong. When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school."

"All right, team," the Doctor said cheerfully before grimacing. "Oh, I hate people who say team. Er, gang. Er, comrades." I elbowed him to get him back on track. "Anyway, Rose, go to the kitchen. Get a sample of that oil. Mickey, the new staff are all Maths teachers. Go and check out the Maths department. Wonder and I going to look in Finch's office. Be back here in ten minutes." The Doctor took my hand and we headed to Finch's office.

We walked down the hallway together, but stopped when we noticed Sarah Jane backing out of the supply closet where the TARDIS was parked. We stood quietly few feet behind her. Slowly, she turned around and stared at us, mainly the Doctor.

"Hello, Sarah Jane," the Doctor greeted gently.

"It's you," Sarah Jane gasped, staring at the Doctor in utter disbelief. "Oh, Doctor. Oh, my gosh, it's you, isn't it." She paused for a moment to gather herself. "You've regenerated," she noted with a quiet chuckle.

The Doctor smiled. "Yeah. Half a dozen times since we last met." I watched silently as the two talked.

"You look incredible," Sarah Jane complimented.

"So do you," the Doctor replied, a soft smile still on his face.

"Huh. I got old," Sarah Jane scoffed. "What are you doing here?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, UFO sighting, school gets record results. I couldn't resist. What about you?"

"The same." The smile slid from Sarah Jane's face. "I thought you'd died. I waited for you and you didn't come back, and I thought you must have died," she said, tears welling in her eyes.

The Doctor stared at her sadly. "I lived. Everyone else died."

Sarah Jane gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone died, Sarah," he repeated. "Well, everyone but Wonder here." He squeezed my hand.

"I can't believe it's you." Just then, Mickey screamed.

"How about now?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Now I can!" We took off down the hallway towards Mickey's scream. We rounded a corner and nearly collided with Rose.

"Did you hear that?" Rose asked frantically. She then noticed Sarah Jane. "Who's she?" I could hear a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Rose, Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane, Rose," the Doctor introduced hurriedly.

"Hi. Nice to meet you," Sarah Jane greeted. "You can tell you're getting older. Your assistants are getting younger," she told the Doctor.

"I'm not his assistant," Rose snapped.

"No? Get you, tiger," Sarah Jane nudged the Doctor teasingly.

I rolled my eyes. "We can discuss how old the Doctor is getting later," I said. "Mickey could be in danger." We took off running again.

"Sorry! Sorry, it was only me," Mickey apologized as we ran into the classroom. He was surrounded by vacuum packed rats. "You told me to investigate, so I started looking through some of these cupboards and all of these fell on me."

"Oh, my gosh, they're rats. Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats," Rose gasped.

The Doctor stared at Mickey. "And you decided to scream."

"It took me by surprise!" Mickey protested.

"Like a little girl?" The Doctor teased.

"Doctor, leave Mickey alone," I warned.

"It was dark! I was covered in rats!" Mickey defended.

"Nine, maybe ten years old. I'm seeing pigtails, frilly skirt," the Doctor mocked.

I Gibbs slapped the Doctor, causing him to cringe and rub the back of his head. "I said to leave Mickey alone. Do it again and no kisses for a week." The Doctor pouted, but wisely chose to stay quiet.

"Hello, can we focus?" Rose snapped. "Does anyone notice anything strange about this? Rats in school?"

"Well, obviously they use them in Biology lessons. They dissect them," Sarah Jane said. "Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?"

Rose glared at Sarah Jane. "Excuse me, no one dissects rats in school anymore. They haven't done that for years. Where are you from, the dark ages?" I could smell a cat fight coming.

"Anyway, moving on," I interrupted, breaking up their glaring contest. "Everything started when Mister Finch arrived. We should go and check his office."

"Right," the Doctor nodded, walking out into the hallway.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who exactly are you?" Rose asked Sarah Jane, sounding very rude indeed.

"Sarah Jane Smith. I used to travel with the Doctor," Sarah Jane explained.

"Oh. Well, he's never mentioned you," Rose said, seeming rather smug about it.

"Oh, I must've done," the Doctor said, trying to stop his two companions from arguing. "Sarah Jane. Mention her all the time."

"Hold on," Rose said, pretending to think. "Sorry. Never."

Sarah Jane looked at Rose, shocked. "What, not even once? He didn't mention me even once?"

"Don't worry Sarah," I told her, coming to walk next to her. "He mentioned you to me after he came back to Gallifrey. Wouldn't shut up about you to be honest," I chuckled. "And I must say, it's great to finally meet you in person."

Sarah Jane smiled. "It's nice to meet you too. The Doctor mentioned your name earlier, but I didn't quite catch it."

"Wonder," I supplied.

Sarah Jane stared at me. "Wonder? _The_ Wonder? You mean his childhood friend?"

"The very same," I grinned.

"Oh, my gosh!" Sarah Jane gasped. "He's told me so much about you."

I chuckled. "All good I hope."

"Nothing but praise," Sarah Jane confirmed. I blushed lightly. "It's wonderful to finally meet you."

"Well, as I said before, the feeling is mutual," I told her. I noticed Rose glaring at us out of the corner of my eye.

We finally made it to the headmaster's office and the Doctor used his sonic on the lock. "Maybe those rats were food," he suggested.

"Food for what?" Rose asked.

The Doctor poked his head through the door. "Rose," the Doctor said quietly, "you know you used to think all the teachers slept in the school?" Rose and the rest of us poked our heads through the open door and followed the Doctor's gaze. "Well, they do." Giant bats were hanging from the ceiling, all seemingly fast asleep.

"No way!" Mickey gasped in horror. Mickey took off. Everyone else followed suit. I stayed with the Doctor as he closed the door.

We all ran out into the schoolyard. "I am not going back in there. No way," Mickey said, hands on his knees as he gasped for breath.

"Those were teachers," Rose gasped.

The Doctor nodded. "When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse. Thirteen. Thirteen big bat people. Come on." He made to go back into the school.

"Come on? You've got to be kidding!" Mickey protested.

"I need the Tardis. I've got to analyze that oil from the kitchen," the Doctor explained.

"I might be able to help you there. I've got something to show you," Sarah Jane spoke up excitedly. She led us back to her car and opened the trunk to reveal...

"K9!" The Doctor cried happily. "Wonder, Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith, allow me to introduce K9. Well, K9 Mark Three to be precise."

"No way! This is _the_ K9?!" I gasped excitedly. I ran over to examine the robot dog.

"Why does he look so disco?" Rose asked.

"Oi!" The Doctor protested. "Listen, in the year five thousand, this was cutting edge. What's happened to him?" He asked Sarah Jane as he and I examined the dog.

"Oh, one day, he just, nothing," Sarah Jane shrugged helplessly.

"Well, didn't you try and get him repaired?" The Doctor asked.

"Doctor, this technology could rewrite human science," I pointed out.

Sara Jane nodded in agreement. "I couldn't show him to anyone."

"Ooh, what's the nasty lady done to you, eh?" The Doctor said in a baby voice, stroking the robot dog's head.

"Look, no offense, but could you two just stop petting for a minute? Never mind the tin dog. We're busy," Rose snapped. I eyed her carefully, but the Doctor didn't seem to notice her tone and closed the trunk with a grin.

We drove to a coffee shop and I helped the Doctor haul K9 in. Rose and Mickey went off to their own table while the Doctor, Sarah Jane, and I sat at another. The Doctor and I monkeyed with K9, trying to repair him.

"I thought of you on Christmas Day. This Christmas just gone? Great big spaceship overhead. I thought, oh yeah, bet he's up there," Sarah Jane said wistfully.

"Right on top of it, yeah," the Doctor said.

"And Wonder and Rose?" She asked.

"Both there."

"Did I do something wrong, because you never came back for me. You just dumped me," Sarah Jane asked.

The Doctor glanced at her. "I told you. I was called back home and in those days humans weren't allowed."

"I waited for you. I missed you," she said softly. I stared at her sadly.

"Oh, you didn't need me," the Doctor dismissed. "You were getting on with your life." I shot him a glare.

"You were my life," Sarah Jane said. The Doctor stared at her, not having expected that answer. "You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happens next, or with what doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles, and then you just dropped me back on Earth. How could anything compare to that?"

The Doctor gave her a confused look. "All those things you saw, do you want me to apologize for that?"

Sarah Jane sighed. "No, but we get a taste of that splendor and then we have to go back."

"Look at you, you're investigating. You found that school. You're doing what we always did," the Doctor grinned. I shook my head and sighed. He could be really clueless sometimes.

"You could have come back," Sarah Jane said softly.

The Doctor shook his head. "I couldn't," he said sadly.

"Why not?" The Doctor didn't answer and instead tried to distract himself with working on K9. Sarah seemed to understand he didn't want to talk about it. "It wasn't Croydon. Where you dropped me off, that wasn't Croydon."

The Doctor looked up. "Where was it?"

"Aberdeen," she said, sounding somewhat annoyed.

I stared at the Doctor. "Seriously? You dropped her off in Aberdeen?"

"...Right," the Doctor said slowly. "That's next to Croydon, isn't it?"

I shook my head in exasperation. "No. No it's not." Just then, K9 came back to life.

"Oh, hey. Now we're in business," the Doctor exclaimed. Rose and Mickey came over.

" **Master** ," K9 greeted.

The Doctor grinned. "He recognizes me."

" **Affirmative**."

"Rose, give us the oil," the Doctor said, holding out his hand for the jar.

Rose handed him the jar of oil. "I wouldn't touch it, though. That dinner lady got all scorched," she warned.

"I'm no dinner lady. And I don't often say that," the Doctor said. He smeared a bit of oil on K9's probe. "Here we go. Come on, boy. Here we go."

" **Oil. Ex ex ex extract. Ana ana analyzing,** " K9 said.

"Listen to him, man. That's a voice," Mickey laughed.

"Careful. That's my dog," Sarah Jane warned.

" **Confirmation of analysis. Substance is Krillitane Oil** ," K9 reported.

The Doctor's eyes widened. "They're Krillitanes."

"Is that bad?" Rose asked apprehensively.

I nodded. "Very. Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad."

"And what are Krillitanes?" Sarah Jane asked.

"They're a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries, people you've invaded or have been invaded by," the Doctor explained. "You've got bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever. The Krillitanes are the same. An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognise them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks."

"What're they doing here?" Rose inquired.

"It's the children. They're doing something to the children," I realized.

I followed Sarah Jane and Mickey out of the coffee shop. We placed K9 back in Sarah Jane's trunk.

"So what's the deal with the tin dog?" Mickey asked.

"The Doctor likes traveling with an entourage," Sarah Jane explained. "Sometimes they're humans, sometimes they're aliens, and sometimes they're tin dogs. What about you? Where do you fit in the picture?"

"Me? I'm their Man in Havana. I'm the technical support. I'm..." Mickey paused mid sentence as something occurred to him. "Oh, my gosh. I'm the tin dog."

"Mickey, you are not the tin dog," I told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, you're our technical support, but your not the tin dog. A tin dog couldn't have hacked into military." I paused. "Well, maybe K9 could, I don't know. Point being you're not a tin dog. You look nothing like a tin dog." Mickey smiled at my attempt to cheer him up. I stood up and walked towards the Doctor as he and Rose came out of the coffee shop.

"How many of us have there been traveling with you?" I heard Rose asked angrily.

"Does it matter?" The Doctor asked.

"Yeah, it does, if I'm just the latest in a long line," Rose snapped.

"As opposed to what?"

"I thought you, me, and Elena were..." She said, blinking tears out of her eyes. "I obviously got it wrong. I've been to the year five billion, right, but this? Now this is really seeing the future. You just leave us behind. Is that what you're going to do to me?"

"No. Not to you," the Doctor assured her.

"But Sarah Jane? You were that close to her once, and now you never even mention her. Why not?"

"We don't age, Rose," I told her softly. "We regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone who you care about."

Rose stared at the Doctor and I. "You can spend the rest of your life with us, but we can't spend the rest of ours with you," the Doctor said sadly. I could tell he was trying very hard to stay calm. "We have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords." Suddenly, an image of one of the bats from the school swooping down towards us flashed across my mind. My eyes widened. "Wonder?" The Doctor asked in concern when he noticed how stiff I had gone. The Doctor and I looked up as we heard a screech. One of the giant bats swooped down, just like it had done in my vision moments before. Everyone instinctively ducked. The Doctor placed himself over me protectively. The giant bat flew off without touching anyone.

"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah Jane asked.

"But it didn't even touch her. It just flew off. What did it do that for?" Rose asked in confusion. The Doctor didn't answer, staring after the Krillitane with a hard expression.

Since the TARDIS was in the school, Sarah Jane let us stay at her place. The Doctor and I, being Time Lords, didn't need any sleep, so we hung out in the living room. The Doctor fiddled with an object from his pocket to occupy his hands while he thought. I pulled out _The Lightning Thief_ to read.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing like that," I told the Doctor, not looking up from my book.

"I'm thinking," he replied.

"What about?"

"What Rose said earlier."

I put a bookmark in my book and closed it. "What's worrying you?"

He sighed and sat down next to me on the couch. "She was right. What she said about Sarah Jane. I was close with her once and I just left her and never went back." He closed his eyes. "Rose was worried that we were going to leave her behind."

"I don't think that was what bothered her most," I said quietly. He looked at me questioningly. "I think what bothered her was that you were so close with Sarah Jane and you never talk about her or any of your former companions." I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She's afraid that when we leave her, we will never talk about her to our future companions. She's worried that we will just move on and forget about her."

"We would never forget her," he stated firmly.

"I know," I told him, kissing his temple softly, "just like you've never forgot about any of your other companions. But we need to make sure she knows that." He sighed and nodded. I smiled and leaned in to kiss him.

"What would I do without you, Wonder?" His whispered, pulling me in for another kiss. "Why did you go so stiff earlier?" He asked when he pulled away.

"Oh. Uh, I had gotten a vision of sorts," I told him.

He furrowed his brows in confusion. "A vision? Of what?"

"The Krillitane swooping down over us," I said. "My guess is that a piece of the foreknowledge I had as Elena must have slipped through the barriers in my mind."

"Interesting. That could be useful," the Doctor mussed.

"Well, we can address it later," I decided. "Right now, I want to read." I opened my book again.

The Doctor wrapped an arm around my waist, drawing into his lap. "Read to me?" He asked, placing a soft kiss on my neck.

I smiled. "Sure," I replied. I flipped back to the first page and began to read.

The next morning we all headed back to the school. We got out of the car and started walking towards the front door, following the mass of students as they headed to their classes.

"Rose and Sarah, you go to the Maths room," the Doctor said. "Crack open those computers, I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this." He pulled out his sonic screwdriver. Rose held her hand out for it, but the Doctor handed it to Sarah Jane instead. "Mickey, surveillance. I want you outside."

"Just stand outside?" Mickey asked incredulously.

"Here, take these. You can keep K9 company," Sarah Jane said as she tossed her car keys to Mickey.

"Don't forget to leave the window open a crack," the Doctor told him.

"But he's metal!" Mickey protested.

"I didn't mean for him." I smacked the Doctor's arm.

"What're you going to do?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"It's time Wonder and I had a word with Mister Finch," he replied.

"Actually, I think I'll go with Rose and Sarah Jane," I told him.

The Doctor looked at me. "Wonder, I need you with me."

"I think you're perfectly capable of talking to Mr. Finch on your own. You don't need me to hold your hand," I teased. He pouted. I chuckled and lowered my voice. "Besides, I want to make sure Rose and Sarah Jane don't get into a fight."

He looked like he wanted to protest, but thought for a moment and sighed. "Alright," he conceded. "But be careful."

I smiled, standing on my tiptoes to peck him on the lips. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

He place a hand on my cheek and pulled me in for another kiss. "I always worry about you," he said softly. I smiled, gave him one more kiss, then followed Rose and Sarah Jane.

We made it to the Maths department and entered one of the IT classrooms. I went over to one of the computers and set to work on rewiring it. Sarah Jane opened a panel on one of the other computers and tried to use the sonic on the wires. Unfortunately the sonic didn't work.

"It's not working," Sarah Jane muttered in frustration. She smacked the sonic, hoping to get it to work.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Give it to me," she said in annoyance. She grabbed the sonic from Sarah and took her place.

"Used to work first time in my day," Sarah Jane said.

"Well, things were a lot simpler back then," Rose retorted.

"Rose, can I give you a bit of advice?" Sarah Jane asked gently.

"I've got a feeling you're about to," Rose muttered.

"I know how intense a relationship with the Doctor can be, and I don't want you to feel I'm intruding," Sarah Jane told her.

"I don't feel threatened by you, if that's what you mean," Rose snapped.

"Right. Good," Sarah Jane nodded, though she didn't look entirely convinced. "Because I'm not interested in picking up where we left off."

"No?" Rose scoffed. "With the big sad eyes and the robot dog? What else were you doing last night?"

"I was just saying how hard it was adjusting to life back on Earth," Sarah Jane explained.

Rose stood up. "The thing is, when you two met they'd only just got rid of rationing. No wonder all that space stuff was a bit too much for you."

"Rose!" I scolded her.

"I had no problem with space stuff. I saw things you wouldn't believe," Sarah Jane snapped.

"Try me," Rose challenged.

"Mummies," Sarah Jane said.

"I've met ghosts," Rose told her.

"Robots. Lots of robots."

"Slitheen, in Downing Street."

"Daleks!"

"Met the Emperor." My gaze flitted back and forth between the two women as they each tried to outdo the other.

"Anti-matter monsters."

"Gas masked zombies."

"Real living dinosaurs."

"Real living werewolf."

" _The_ Loch Ness Monster!"

Rose blinked. "Seriously?" The both started giggling and I shook my head in exasperation. "Listen to us. It's like me and my mate Shireen. The only time we fell out was over a man, and we're arguing over the Doctor." Rose paused. "With you, did he do that thing where he'd explain something at like, ninety miles per hour, and you'd go, what? and he'd look at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?" Rose asked Sarah Jane.

Sarah nodded. "All the time. Does he still stroke bits of the Tardis?"

"Yeah! Yeah, he does. I'm like, do you two want to be alone?" Rose laughed. The two women laughed and I gazed at them fondly as they bonded.

"How's it going?" The Doctor asked as he entered. Instead of answering, Rose and Sarah kept laughing. The Doctor furrowed his brows in confusion. "What? Listen, I need to find out what's programmed inside these." They laughed harder. The Doctor pouted. "What? Stop it! Wonder, tell them to stop laughing at me," he whined.

"No, this is too funny," I chuckled. Eventually, Rose and Sarah Jane calmed down and informed the Doctor that they were unable to find out anything.

" **All pupils to class immediately. And would all members of staff congregate in the staff room** ," a voice said over the intercom.

"Rose, keep the kids from coming in here," I told her. She nodded and went to the door.

"No, no. This classroom's out of bounds. You've all got to go to the South Hall. Off you go. South Hall!" Rose told the students as they tried to enter the classroom.

The Doctor pulled a bunch of wires out of the unit. He looped them around his neck to keep them out of his way. "I can't shift it," he complained as he attempted to get into the computer.

"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything!" Sarah Jane said.

"Anything except a deadlock seal. There's got to be something inside here," I mumbled as I knelt beside the Doctor. "What're they teaching those kids?" I pulled out more wires. Suddenly, the all the computer screens turned on. A picture of a cube with different strange symbols on it appeared on the screens.

"You wanted the program? There it is," Sarah Jane said. We all stared at the large screen at the front of the room.

"Some sort of code," the Doctor guessed, studying the cube.

I watched the revolving cube. I searched the vast amount of knowledge I had stored in my brain. My eyes widened as I came across a particular piece of information. "No. No, that can't be," I gasped, causing everyone to look at me. "It's the Skasis Paradigm. They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm." The Doctor and I stared wide eyed at the revolving cube on the screen.

"The Skasis what?" Sarah Jane asked in confusion.

"The God maker. The universal theory," the Doctor explained. "Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."

"What, and the kids are like a giant computer?" Rose wondered.

"Yes. And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil. That oil from the kitchens, it works as a, as a conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer," the Doctor realized.

"But that oil's on the chips. I've been eating them," Rose said nervously.

"What's fifty nine times thirty five?" The Doctor asked.

"Two thousand and sixty five," Rose answered without hesitation. The Doctor shrugged in a 'well there you go' manner. Rose's eyes widened. "Oh, my gosh."

"But why use children? Can't they use adults?" Sarah Jane asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "No, it's got to be children. The God maker needs imagination to crack it."

"They're not just using the children's brains to break the code, they're using their souls," I growled. They were using innocent kids to do there dirty work.

"Let the lesson begin." We all turned around as Mr. Finch entered the room. "Think of it, Doctor. With the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it," Mr. Finch said softly. I clenched my hands into fists, glaring darkly at the Krillitane. I was going to kick some Krillitane butt.

"Oh yeah? The whole of creation with the face of Mister Finch? Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are," the Doctor retorted.

"You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order? Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good," Mr. Finch said, smiling.

"What, by someone like you?" The Doctor snarled.

"No, someone like you," Mr. Finch corrected. The Doctor looked taken aback by the offer. I continued to glare at him, knowing he would never let the Doctor get his hands on that power. Mr. Finch seemed unfazed by my death glare. "The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a god at my side. Imagine what you could do. Think of the civilizations you could save. Perganon, Assinta. Your own people, Doctor, standing tall. The Time Lords reborn," Mr. Finch enticed. I froze at his last words.

"Doctor, don't listen to him," Sarah Jane warned.

Mr. Finch turned to her. "And you could be with him throughout eternity. Young, fresh, never wither, never age, never die. Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us."

"I could save everyone," the Doctor said quietly.

Mr. Finch smiled. "Yes."

"I could stop the war," the Doctor said wistfully. My hearts broke at the pain in his voice. I knew it killed him to destroy our own people. I took his hand gently.

"No," Sarah Jane said firmly. The Doctor and I looked at her. "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world, or a relationship, everything has its time. And everything ends," she said, tears filling her eyes. The Doctor and I glanced at each other. We both knew Sarah Jane was right, as hard as it was to accept. I squeezed his hand encouragingly. He nodded and set his jaw. He turned, picked up a chair, and threw it at the large screen. The screen shattered.

"Out!" The Doctor yelled. Rose, Sarah Jane, and I waisted no time and bolted for the door.

We ran into the hallway as Mr. Finch let out a blood curdling screech. We bolted down the stairs and Mickey and a young boy I recognized as Kenny came running up to us.

"What is going on?" Mickey asked. None of us got a chance to answer as the Krillitanes appeared at the end of the hallway. We bolted the opposite way and into the cafeteria. The Doctor ran to a set of doors on the other side of the room and tried to open them, but they were locked. Before he got a chance to pull out his sonic screwdriver, Mr. Finch and the rest of the Krillitanes burst in.

"Are they my teachers?" Kenny asked, cowering by a table.

"Yeah. Sorry," I told him, glancing at each of the Krillitanes as they eyed us hungrily.

"We need the Doctor and Wonder alive," Mr. Finch told his Krillitane brothers. "As for the others? You can feast." The Krillitanes swooped down. The Doctor and I each grabbed a chair and swung them at the giant bats. Everyone else ducked out of the way at the Krillitanes dove. I swung my chair at one of the giant bats and it screeched in pain as my chair met its mark. Another Krillitane swooped down to attack, but was shot with a laser beam and it dropped to the floor.

"K9!" Sarah Jane cried happily, spotting her faithful robot dog.

" **Suggest you engage running mode, mistress** ," K9 said.

"Come on!" The Doctor shouted. We followed him back out the way we had come, our path clear with the Krillitanes occupied. I stopped to wait for the Doctor. "K9, hold them back!"

" **Affirmative, master. Maximum defense mode** ," K9 confirmed. The Doctor sealed the door and grabbed my hand as we took off after the others.

We ran into the Physics lab. "It's the oil. Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil. That's it!" The Doctor exclaimed. "They've changed their physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them. How much was there in the kitchens?" He asked Rose.

"Barrels of it," she answered. We spun around at the sound of the Krillitanes pounding on the door.

"Okay, we need to get to the kitchens," the Doctor decided. "Mickey."

"What now, hold the coats?" Mickey asked bitterly.

"Get all the children unplugged and out of the school," the Doctor told him. Mickey blinked then nodded in determination. "Now then, bats, bats, bats. How do we fight bats?" Kenny pulled the fire alarm. The Krillitanes outside the door screeched. We bolted out the door, successfully passing the Krillitanes who were hold their ears in pain. The fire alarm stopped blaring as we ran down the hall.

" **Master** ," K9 called as we neared the cafeteria.

The Doctor and I grinned at the robot dog. "Come on, boy. Good boy," the Doctor said. K9 followed obediently.

We made it to the kitchens and the Doctor tried to sonic the barrels of oil. "They've been deadlock sealed. Finch must've done that. I can't open them," the Doctor growled in frustration.

" **The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser, but my batteries are failing** ," K9 announced.

The Doctor nodded. "Right. Everyone out the back door. K9, stay with me." Everyone but me left. "Wonder, that means you too."

"You must be an idiot if you think I'm leaving you alone," I snapped. The Doctor groaned, but didn't argue. The Doctor and I began lining up the barrels for K9.

" **Capacity for only one shot, Master and Mistress. For maximum impact, I must be stationed directly beside the vat** ," K9 informed us.

"But you'll be trapped inside," the Doctor pointed out.

" **That is correct.** "

"We can't let you do that," I protested.

" **No alternative possible, Mistress** ," K9 insisted.

The Doctor sighed and knelt in front of the robot dog. "Goodbye, old friend."

" **Goodbye, Master.** "

"You good dog," the Doctor told him.

" **Affirmative** ," K9 said, waggling his tail and ears.

"Goodbye, K9," I said, pressing a soft kiss to the dog's head.

" **Goodbye, Mistress**." The Doctor and I reluctantly left K9 behind and followed the others. We ran out the door and the Doctor sealed it behind us.

"Where's K9?" Sarah Jane asked. She had been standing just outside the door.

The Doctor gently grabbed Sarah Jane's arm. "We need to run," he said, ignoring Sarah Jane's question.

"Where is he? What have you done?!" Sarah Jane asked desperately as we ran away from the building.

"Come on, guys! Let's go, let's go! Run!" Mickey shouted to the kids.

 **KaBOOM!**

We all stared back at the school as it exploded. The students began cheering as paper rained down around them.

"Yes!" I heard Kenny cheer with the rest of the kids.

"Did you have something to do with it?" Melissa asked him.

"Yeah, I did," Kenny answered.

"Oh my gosh. Kenny blew up the school! It was Kenny!" Melissa exclaimed happily to the rest of the students. The students cheered and shouted Kenny's name. I smiled slightly in amusement.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor told Sarah.

"It's all right," she said, though I could tell she was trying very hard not to cry. "He was just a daft metal dog. It's fine, really." I wrapped my arms around her and she burst into tears. The Doctor wrapped his own arm around Sarah and we both did our best to comfort her.

A little while later, the Doctor and I relocated the TARDIS from the destroyed school to Belle Vue Park. The Doctor stepped out to invite Sarah Jane in. She walked in and looked around in awe. "You've redecorated," she commented.

"Do you like it?" The Doctor asked hopefully.

"Oh, I, I do. Yeah. I preferred it as it was, but er, yeah. It'll do," Sarah Jane decided. I chuckled, leaning against the console.

"I love it," Rose said.

Sarah Jane smiled at the blonde. "Hey, you what's forty seven times three hundred and sixty nine?"

Rose shrugged. "No idea. It's gone now. The oil's faded."

"But you're still clever. More than a match for him," Sarah Jane said, gesturing to the Doctor.

Rose grinned. "You and me both." Rose turned to the Doctor. "Doctor?"

"Er, we're about to head off, but you could come with us," he told Sarah Jane. He smiled at her hopefully, but I knew she wouldn't.

Sarah Jane looked slightly surprised at the offer. She blinked then shook her head. "No," she replied. The Doctor visibly deflated. "I can't do this anymore. Besides, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead. Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own," Sarah explained.

"Can I come?" Mickey asked suddenly. We all snapped our heads to him in confusion. Sarah Jane raised her eyebrows. "No, not with you," he said hurriedly, "I mean with you." He nodded towards the Doctor. "Because I'm not the tin dog, and I want to see what's out there." I grinned at him.

"Oh, go on, Doctor. Sarah Jane Smith, a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board," Sarah Jane urged with a smile.

The Doctor nodded. "Okay then, I could do with a laugh."

"Rose, is that okay?" Mickey asked her hopefully.

Rose rolled her eyes, not looking at Mickey. "No, great. Why not?" Rose said sarcastically. I frowned at her. What was her problem?

"Well, I'd better go," Sarah said. Rose walked up to her and the two talked quietly.

I walked over to Mickey and hugged him. "I'm glad you're joining us," I told him. I let go and punched his arm lightly. "It's about time you decided to come with. Besides we could use the technical support." Mickey smiled at me.

The Doctor walked out with Sarah Jane. I watched them from the monitor, wanting to give them some time to talk, but not wanting Sarah to leave without me saying goodbye. I walked out of the TARDIS when the Doctor pulled Sarah in for a hug. They both turned to look at me. "You didn't think you would be able to leave without saying goodbye to me, did you?" I asked Sarah. She smiled at me and we hugged. "Goodbye, Sarah Jane. It was an honor to meet you."

"It was my pleasure, Wonder," she replied. The Doctor and I went back into the TARDIS and flicked a switch.

"You think she will like our gift?" I asked the Doctor as we watched Sarah Jane from the monitor as the TARDIS dematerialized.

"Without a doubt," he replied. I had convinced the Doctor to rebuild K9 after we pulled him from the rubble of the kitchen. To be honest, it hadn't taken much persuasion. The Doctor and I had worked together to build a new and improved K9 model and had left him behind the TARDIS.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Please review and let me know.**


	19. The Girl in the Fireplace

**Hello readers. I'm sorry for the delay. I lost track of time. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but my oc.**

* * *

After we left Sarah Jane, Rose and I showed Mickey around the TARDIS. Mickey was eager to start his first adventure. I changed into a black t-shirt that said 'Judge me by my size, do you?' on the front and a picture of Yoda by a 'you must be this tall to ride this ride' sign on the back. The Doctor set a course and we exited the TARDIS once she had landed. We stepped out into a spaceship.

"It's a spaceship. Brilliant!" Mickey said excitedly. "I got a spaceship on my first go."

"It looks kind of abandoned," Rose commented, looking around the dark room.

"It looks like a mess," I added, glancing at the various junk that was scattered around.

"Anyone on board?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"Nah, nothing here," the Doctor assured her, shoving his hands in his pockets. I glanced at him. "Well, nothing dangerous," he corrected himself. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, not that dangerous." I raised both eyebrows and crossed my arms. "You know what, I'll just have a quick scan, in case there's anything dangerous."

"Sounds like a good idea," I told him. He walked over to the control panel in the middle of the room and flicked a few switches.

"So, what's the date? How far we gone?" Rose asked.

"About three thousand years into your future, give or take," I informed her.

"Ah!" The Doctor exclaimed, grinning. He flicked a switch and the lights came on. Part of the ceiling opened up, allowing us to see the stars.

"Fifty first century," I said. "We are in the...remind me where we are, Doctor. Geography was never my strong point."

"Diagmar Cluster," the Doctor supplied, "you're a long way from home, Mickey. Two and a half galaxies."

Mickey and Rose wandered over to look out a window. "Mickey Smith, meet the universe. See anything you like?" Rose asked.

"It's so realistic!" Mickey said, staring out the window in awe. I smiled at the two humans. Rose seemed to have warmed up to the idea of Mickey traveling with us. I glanced back at the Doctor. He was examining a few of the bits and pieces of the junk lying around.

"Dear me, had some cowboys in here," he commented. "Got a ton of repair work going on." He tossed aside some gears and glanced at a screen. "Now that's odd. Look at that." Rose, Mickey, and I all came over to see what he was looking at. The monitor showed the ship we were on. I took a closer look and noticed what the Doctor was talking about.

"All the warp engines are going. Full capacity," I said, furrowing my brow in confusion.

The Doctor nodded. "There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe, but we're not moving. So where's all that power going?" He pressed a couple buttons on the control panel.

"Where'd all the crew go?" Rose asked.

"Good question. No life readings on board," I noted, checking the monitor.

"Well, we're in deep space. They didn't just nip out for a quick fag," Rose pointed out.

"No, I've checked all the smoking pods," the Doctor said. He paused in his button pressing and sniffed the air. "Can you smell that?"

We all sniffed the air. I wrinkled my nose. Don't get me wrong, I love the smell of cooking meat, but this didn't exactly smell like beef. "Yeah, someone's cooking," Rose said.

Mickey grinned. "Sunday roast, definitely," he agreed. The Doctor flicked a switch and a door behind us opened. We walked through the door and into another room. On the far wall was an ornate fireplace with a clock on the mantlepiece.

"Well, there's something you don't see in your average spaceship," I commented, walking closer to get a better look. "Eighteenth century. French."

The Doctor knocked on the mantle experimentally. "Nice mantle. Not a hologram," he said. "It's not even a reproduction. This actually is an eighteenth century French fireplace."

I crouched in front of the fireplace. "Double sided. There's another room through there," I noted.

Rose looked out a porthole on the same wall. "There can't be. That's the outer hull of the ship. Look," she insisted.

The Doctor walked over to look out the porthole too. "Huh, you're right," he mumbled.

I glanced at them before looking back at the fireplace. I blinked when I was met with the curious gaze of a young girl. "Hello," I greeted with a gentle smile.

"Hello," the young girl greeted back. She had long blonde hair and was in a nightgown.

The Doctor walked over and crouched next to me, curious to see who I was talking to. "Oh, hello," he greeted the young girl. "What's your name?"

"Reinette," the girl replied.

I smiled at her. "Reinette, that's a lovely name. Can you tell me where you are at the moment, Reinette?"

"In my bedroom," Reinette answered.

"And where's your bedroom? Where do you live, Reinette?" The Doctor asked.

Reinette blinked. "Paris, of course."

The Doctor nodded. "Paris, right!"

"Madame, Monsieur, what are you doing in my fireplace?" Reinette asked. I blushed slightly that she thought the Doctor and I were married.

The Doctor shrugged, though I noticed that his ears had turned slightly pink. "Oh, it's just a routine fire check. Can you tell me what year it is?"

"Of course I can. Seventeen hundred and twenty seven," Reinette giggled.

"Great year," I said.

"One of my favorites," the Doctor agreed. "August is rubbish though. Stay indoors. Okay, that's all for now. Thanks for your help. Hope you enjoy the rest of the fire. Night, night."

"Goodnight Monsieur, Madame," Reinette said. The Doctor and I stood from our crouched positions

"You said this was the fifty first century," Mickey reminded the Doctor.

"I also said this ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe," the Doctor pointed out.

"Well, I think it's safe to assume we found the hole," I said.

"Must be a spatio-temporal hyperlink," the Doctor mused.

"What's that?" Mickey asked.

"A fancy way to say magic door," I told him.

The Doctor shrugged. "Magic door was too simple and boring." I rolled my eyes, but smiled in amusement.

"So on the other side of the magic door is France in 1727?" Rose guessed, lowering her voice as she said 'magic door.'

I leaned my arm against the fireplace mantle. "Well, she was speaking French. Right period French, too," I noted. The Doctor started searching for something on the mantle.

"She was speaking English, I heard her," Mickey insisted.

"That's the Tardis. Translates for you," Rose told him.

Mickey looked dumbfounded. "Even French?"

"Yeah," Rose confirmed.

"Gotcha!" The Doctor said triumphantly. He pulled a switch under the mantle and the whole fireplace rotated, taking him and I with it.

"Doctor! Wonder!" Rose called in surprise.

The fireplace stopped rotating and the Doctor and I glanced around. We were now standing in Reinette's bedroom. I noticed the young girl sleeping in her bed. The Doctor walked over to a window and peaked out. It was snowing. A horse whinnied and Reinette woke with a gasp.

"It's alright. It's okay," I told her quickly. "Don't scream. It's us. It's the fireplace man and woman. Look. We were talking just a moment ago. We were in your fireplace." The Doctor lit a nearby candle with his sonic as Reinette calmed down.

"Madame, that was weeks ago. That was months," Reinette said.

"Really?" The Doctor asked in confusion. "Oh. Must be a loose connection. Need to get a man in." He began to inspect the mantle.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Reinette asked us apprehensively. I glanced at the clock on the mantle. I stared at it as I tugged on the Doctor sleeve and pointed to the clock. We could both hear a loud ticking, but the clock was broken.

"Okay, that's scary," the Doctor muttered.

"You're scared of a broken clock?" Reinette asked with raised eyebrows.

"Just a bit scared, yeah. Just a little tiny bit," the Doctor said as he and I backed up. "Because, you see, if this clock's broken, and it's the only clock in the room, then what's that?" All three of us listened to the loud ticking. "Because, you see, that's not a clock. You can tell by the resonance. Too big."

"The size of a man. About six feet," I noted.

"What is it?" Reinette asked. I could tell were we beginning to scare her. I walked over and sat on the bed next to her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders.

"Now, let's think. If you were a thing that ticked and you were hiding in someone's bedroom, first thing you do, break the clock," the Doctor mused. "No one notices the sound of one clock ticking, but two? You might start to wonder if you're really alone." The Doctor slowly made his way over to where Reinette and I sat on the bed. "Stay on the bed. Right in the middle. Don't put your hands or feet over the edge." Reinette nodded. The Doctor got down on his hands and knees and pointed his sonic screwdriver under the bed. He jumped back as something knocked his sonic out of his hand. He quickly poked his head back under the bed, then, not seeing anything, looked up. "Reinette, don't look round," he whispered. I glanced behind me and saw the source of the ticking. An android wearing a mask stood there. I shivered involuntarily. The mask reminded me of a clown and I had a phobia of clowns.

I glanced between the android and Reinette. "Doctor..." I said quietly.

"On it," he said. "You, stay exactly where you are," he gently ordered Reinette. "Hold still, let me look." The Doctor held Reinette's head in his hands and looked deep into her eyes. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You've been scanning her brain," he noted. "What, you've crossed two galaxies and thousands of years just to scan a child's brain? What could there be in a little girl's mind worth blowing a hole in the universe?"

"I don't understand. It wants me?" Reinette asked. She turned to look at the android. "You want me?"

" **Not yet. You are incomplete,** " the android replied.

"Incomplete?" I asked.

"What's that mean, incomplete?" The Doctor asked. The android didn't reply. "You can answer her, you can answer me. What do you mean, incomplete?" Once again the android refused to reply. He stiffly walked around the bed towards the Doctor. He held out his arm and a blade came out dangerously close to the Doctor's throat.

"Monsieur, be careful," Reinette warned.

"Just a nightmare, Reinette, don't worry about it. Everyone has nightmares," the Doctor told the young girl. I jumped up from the bed and grabbed the back of the Doctor's coat, pulling him out of the way as the android slashed at him. "Thanks, love."

"No problem," I replied. The android followed us as we backed towards the fireplace.

"Even monsters from under the bed have nightmares, don't you, monster?" the Doctor continued. We dodged as the android swung its arm down. The blade lodged itself in the mantle and the android struggled to tug it free.

"What do monsters have nightmares about?" Reinette asked.

I pulled the switch under the mantle and the fireplace rotated again. "Us!" I told Reinette. She smiled at us as we disappeared, taking the android with us.

"Doctor! Wonder!" Rose yelled as we spun back around to the spaceship.

I ran over and grabbed a tube from a rack on the wall. "Doctor!" I shouted at him. I tossed him the object and he caught it with a grin. He pulled the trigger and and doused the android in a white cloud, causing the android to seize up.

Mickey caught the tube as the Doctor tossed it to him. "Excellent. Ice gun," Mickey said.

"Fire extinguisher," I corrected.

"Where did that thing come from?" Rose asked.

"Here," the Doctor replied.

"So why is it dressed like that?" Mickey asked, taking in the android's French garb.

"Field trip to France," the Doctor explained. "Some kind of basic camouflage protocol. Nice needlework, shame about the face."

"It looks like a French clown," I muttered. "I hate clowns."

The Doctor gave me a sympathetic glance. "Well, then, why don't we remove the mask and see what's underneath." He did so and revealed a bunch of clockwork. "Oh, you are beautiful! No, really, you are. You're gorgeous! Well, not as gorgeous as Wonder, but still," he said, grinning.

"Oh, so I'm gorgeous then?" I teased, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Always," he replied, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead. "But look at that. Space age clockwork, I love it. I've got chills!" I giggled and had the sudden urge to start singing the song from _Grease_. "Listen, seriously, I mean this from the heart, and, by the way, count those, it would be a crime, it would be an act of vandalism to disassemble you. But that won't stop me." The Doctor raised his sonic screwdriver threateningly. The android touched the inside of its wrist and beamed away.

"Short range teleport. Smart move," I complimented begrudgingly.

"Can't have got far. Could still be on board," the Doctor mused.

"What is it?" Rose asked.

"Don't go looking for it!" The Doctor ordered as he grabbed my hand and dragged me back to the fireplace.

"Where're you two going?" Rose inquired.

"Back in a sec," the Doctor answered as he pulled the switch under the mantle again.

"You know they're not going to listen," I told him.

"At least I can say I warned them when they get into trouble," the Doctor replied. We looked around the room we found ourselves in. It wasn't the little girl's bedroom like last time. The room was large and split level.

"Reinette?" I called softly.

"Just checking you're okay," the Doctor said. He walked over to a harp and played a couple notes.

"Ahem." We both spun round at the sound of someone clearing their throat. A young woman in an elegant French dress stood in the doorway.

"Oh. Hello. Er, we were just looking for Reinette," the Doctor stuttered nervously. "This is still her room, isn't it? We've been away, not sure how long."

"Reinette! We're ready to go," a woman called.

"Go to the carriage, Mother. I will join you there," the young woman answered without taking her eyes off us. She walked towards us. "It is customary, I think, to have an imaginary friend only during one's childhood. You two are to be congratulated on your persistence."

I grinned as I realized who she was. "Reinette! My goodness! All grown up I see."

"And you two do not appear to have aged a single day. That is tremendously impolite of you," Reinette retorted, though she had a slight smile on her face.

"Right, yes, sorry. Listen, lovely to catch up, but better be off, eh?" The Doctor rambled. "Don't want your mother finding you up here with a strange man and woman, do we?"

"Strange? How could you be strangers to me? I've known you since I was seven years old," Reinette replied. I smiled. She had a point there.

The Doctor smiled. "Yeah, I suppose you have. We came the quick route."

Reinette reached out her hands and placed them gently on the Doctor and I's cheeks "You seem to be flesh and blood, at any rate, but this is absurd. Reason tells me you cannot be real."

"Oh, you never want to listen to reason," the Doctor grinned.

"If you did, you probably wouldn't run into trouble like we do," I added.

"Mademoiselle! Your mother grows impatient," a servant called.

"A moment!" Reinette shouted. "So many questions. So little time," she said. Reinette threw her arms around the Doctor's and I's necks and hugged us tightly. The Doctor and I blinked, not having expected that reaction. Just as we unfroze and started hugging her back, we were interrupted by the servant again.

"Mademoiselle Poisson!" Reinette let go and ran out of the room. The servant entered the room, probably looking for Reinette.

I blinked as my Time Lady brain finally registered what the servant has called Reinette. "Poisson? Reinette Poisson?" I said, not sure I had heard the servant right.

"No!" The Doctor gasped. "No, no, no, no, no way. Reinette Poisson? Later Madame Etoiles? Later still mistress of Louis the Fifteenth, uncrowned Queen of France? Actress, artist, musician, dancer, courtesan," the Doctor said excitedly.

"Fantastic gardener!" I added, just as excited.

"Who the heck are you?!" The servant asked angrily.

"I'm the Doctor and this is Wonder, and we just hugged Madame de Pompadour. Ha, ha!" He laughed as he pulled the switch on the mantle and swung us back to the spaceship. "Rose! Mickey!" The Doctor called. The two humans were nowhere to be seen. "Every time," he grumbled.

"Told you," I said smugly as we went to go find our missing companions.

"Every time, it's rule one. Don't wander off. I tell them, I do. Rule one. There could be anything on this ship," the Doctor grumbled.

I glanced around and spotted a white horse. "Well hello there," I greeted, walking up to it. I held out my hand for the horse to smell. He did so and nudged me. I giggled and stroked his forehead.

The Doctor came back down the hallway when he realized I wasn't following. "Wonder, who are you talking...oh."

"I made a friend," I told him happily.

"I can see that," the Doctor replied. "Come on, we need to find Rose and Mickey." Reluctantly, I stopped petting the horse and followed the Doctor. The horse followed. "Rose?"

"Mickey?" I called.

The Doctor turned to the horse. "Will you stop following as? We're not your parents," he snapped. The horse merely snorted.

I reached forward and stroked the horse's head again who nickered in content. "Oh, leave Arthur alone," I scolded the Doctor. "He's not hurting you."

"Arthur?" He asked.

"Good name for a horse," I replied. The Doctor huffed in annoyance. The Doctor noticed a pair of white double doors and walked towards them.

"So this is where you came from, eh, horsey?" The Doctor said as he opened the doors. I followed the Doctor through the doors. We wound up in the Versailles gardens. We spotted Reintte strolling through the garden with a dark skinned woman. We concealed ourselves behind a stone wall.

"Oh, Catherine, you are too wicked," Reinette giggled.

"Oh, speaking of wicked, I hear Madame de Chateauroux is ill and close to death," the dark skinned woman, Catherine, said.

"Yes. I am devastated," Reinette said, not sounding devastated at all.

Catherine chuckled. "Oh, indeed. I myself am frequently inconsolable. The King will therefore be requiring a new mistress. You love the King, of course?" The Doctor and I watched Reinette, smiling fondly.

Reinette nodded. "He is the King, and I love him with all my heart. And I look forward to meeting him." A peacock called and Reinette turned around. The Doctor and I quickly ducked behind the wall.

"Is something wrong, my dear?" Catherine asked.

"Not wrong, no," Reinette replied.

"Every woman in Paris knows your ambitions," Catherine told her. The Doctor and I slowly peeked out from behind the wall.

"Every woman in Paris shares them," Reinette chuckled.

"You know of course that the King is to attend the Yew Tree ball?"

"As am I."

"Come on," the Doctor said. We went back to the spaceship to continue our search for Rose and Mickey.

We wandered down a hallway and heard Rose's and Mickey's voices. "Blimey, look at this guy. Who does he think he is?" Mickey scoffed.

"The King of France," the Doctor answered as we walked up to them. We stood in front of a one way mirror. King Louis and two other men stood in the room on the other side of the mirror.

"Oh, here's trouble. What have you two been up to?" Rose asked.

The Doctor shrugged. "Oh, this and that. Became the imaginary friend of a future French aristocrat, picked a fight with a clockwork man."

The horse we met earlier neighed. "Oh, and we met a horse," I said cheerfully.

"What's a horse doing on a spaceship?" Mickey asked.

"Mickey, what's pre-Revolutionary France doing on a spaceship? Get a little perspective," the Doctor retorted.

I smacked his arm. "Be nice, Doctor," I scolded.

"Yes, dear," the Doctor sighed, rubbing his arm. "See these?" The Doctor gestured to the one way mirror. "They're all over the place. On every deck. Gateways to history. But not just any old history." Reinette entered the room and curtseyed to the King. "Hers. Time windows deliberately arranged along the life of one particular woman. A spaceship from the fifty first century stalking a woman from the eighteenth. Why?"

"Who is she?" Rose asked.

"Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, known to her friends as Reinette," I answered. "One of the most accomplished women who ever lived."

"So has she got plans of being the Queen, then?" Rose inquired.

The Doctor shook his head. "No, he's already got a Queen. She's got plans of being his mistress."

Rose giggled. "Oh, I get it. Camilla."

"I think this is the night they met," the Doctor said. "The night of the Yew Tree ball. In no time at flat, she'll get herself established as his official mistress, with her own rooms at the palace. Even her own title. Madame de Pompadour." The King left with his servants and Reinette checked her appearance in the one way mirror.

"The Queen must have loved her," Rose muttered sarcastically.

"Oh, she did. They get on very well," I said, watching Reinette.

"The King's wife and the King's girlfriend?" Mickey asked in confusion.

"France. It's a different planet," the Doctor said.

Reinette spun around and stared at something we couldn't see. "How long have you been standing there? Show yourself!" She demanded. A clockwork android came out of the shadows. This one was dressed as a woman. I grabbed the fire extinguisher from Mickey and rotated the mirror.

"Hello, Reinette," I greeted cheerfully. "Hasn't time flown?"

"Fireplace woman!" Reinette gasped. I sprayed the android and tossed the extinguisher back to Mickey. The android creaked as it tried to turn back on.

"What's it doing?" Mickey asked apprehensively.

"Switching back on. Melting the ice," the Doctor said.

"And then what?"

"Then it kills everyone in the room," I said.

"Focuses the mind, doesn't it?" The Doctor said. "Who are you? Identify yourself," he ordered the android. It remained silent. "Order it to answer me," he told Reinette.

"Why should it listen to me?" Reinette asked.

"I don't know. It did when you were a child. Let's see if you've still got it," the Doctor replied.

"Answer his question. Answer any and all questions put to you," Reinette ordered.

" **I am repair droid seven** ," it answered.

"What happened to the ship, then? There was a lot of damage," the Doctor said.

" **Ion storm. Eighty two percent systems failure.** "

"That ship hasn't moved in over a year. What's taken you so long?" I asked.

" **We did not have the parts.** "

Mickey laughed. "Always comes down to that, doesn't it? The parts."

"What's happened to the crew? Where are they?" The Doctor asked.

" **We did not have the parts** ," the android repeated.

"There should have been over fifty people on your ship," the Doctor pointed out. "Where did they go?"

" **We did not have the parts.** " My eyes widened in horror as I realized what must have happened to the crew.

"Fifty people don't just disappear," the Doctor snapped. "Where-"

"Doctor," I interrupted quietly. "The crew didn't just disappear."

He took in my horrified expression and it finally clicked. "Oh. You didn't have the parts, so you used the crew."

"The crew?" Mickey asked in disgust.

"We found a camera with an eye in it, and there was a heart wired in to machinery," Rose informed us.

"It was just doing what it was programmed to," the Doctor said. "Repairing the ship any way it can, with whatever it could find. No one told it the crew weren't on the menu. What did you say the flight deck smelt of?"

"Someone cooking," Rose answered, looking disgusted.

"Flesh plus heat. Barbecue," the Doctor said. I put a hand to my mouth in disgust. I knew it hadn't smelled right. "But what are you doing here? You've opened up time windows. That takes colossal energy. Why come here? You could have gone to your repair yard. Instead you come to eighteenth century France? Why?"

" **One more part is required** ," the android answered.

"Then why haven't you taken it?"

" **She is incomplete.** "

"What, so, that's the plan, then. Just keep opening up more and more time windows, scanning her brain, checking to see if she's done yet," the Doctor snapped.

"Why her?" Rose asked. "You've got all of history to choose from. Why specifically her?"

" **We are the same.** "

"We are not the same. We are in no sense the same," Reinetted snapped.

" **We are the same** ," the android repeated.

Reinette glared at the android. "Get out of here. Get out of here this instant!"

"Reinette, no!" The Doctor said, but it was too late. The android teleported away. "It's back on the ship." The Doctor opened the mirror. "Rose, take Mickey and Arthur. Get after it. Follow it. Don't approach it, just watch what it does."

"Arthur?" Rose asked.

"Good name for a horse." I grinned in delight.

"No, you're not keeping the horse," Rose groaned.

"I let you keep Mickey," the Doctor retorted. "Now go! Go! Go!" The Doctor closed the mirror. "Wonder, you were always better at mind melds. Could you look into Reinette's mind and find out what the droids were looking for?" I nodded.

I turned to the young blonde. "Reinette, would you allow be to check your mind? We need to find out what they're looking for. There's only one way I can do that." Reinette looked a bit apprehensive, but nodded. I approached her and placed placed two fingers on each side of her head. "It won't hurt a bit," I assured her. I closed my eyes and entered her mind.

"Fireplace woman, you are inside my mind," Reinette said in awe.

"Oh dear, Reinette. You've had some cowboys in here," I commented as I searched her mind.

"You are in my memories. You walk among them." The Doctor watched us quietly.

"If there's anything you don't want me to see, just imagine a door and close it. I won't look," I told her. I continued to walk through her mind and came upon an open door. "Oh, actually there's a door just there. You might want to cl-. Oh, actually, several." The Doctor raised his eyebrows as Reinette smirked.

"To walk among the memories of another living soul. Do you ever get used to this?" She asked.

"I don't make a habit of it," I replied.

"How can you resist?"

"What age are you?" I said in confusion.

"So impertinent a question so early in the conversation," Reinette commented.

"No, not my question, theirs," I corrected. "You're twenty three and for some reason, that means you're not old enough." Reinette gasped as I continued to search through her mind. "Sorry, you might find old memories reawakening. Side effect," I apologized.

"Oh, such a lonely childhood," she said.

"It'll pass. Stay with me," I told her.

"Oh, Wonder. So lonely. So very, very alone until the Doctor came," Reinette said sadly.

I furrowed my brows in confusion. "What do you mean, alone? You've never been alone in your life." My eyes snapped open. "When did you start calling me Wonder?"

"And since when did you know my name?" The Doctor asked.

Reinette ignored the Doctor. "Such a lonely little girl with only the TARDISes to keep you company till he came. Lonely then, but no longer. You have each other. Wonder and the Doctor. The last of your kind."

I broke our link and stared at her in bewilderment. "How did you do that?"

"A door, once opened, can be stepped through in either direction," Reinette answered. She place a hand on my cheek. "Oh, Wonder. My Wonder and Doctor. Dance with me."

"We can't," I said.

"Dance with me," Reinette insisted.

"This is the night you dance with the King," I told her.

"Then first, I shall make him jealous."

"We can't," I insisted.

"Wonder. Doctor. Wonder who? Doctor who? It's more than just a secret, isn't it?" She said.

"What did you see?" The Doctor asked her.

Reinette looked at him. "That there comes a time, Time Lord, when every lonely little boy and girl must learn how to dance." She grabbed our hands and dragged us off.

The ball was actually rather fun. Reinette had insisted I wear a period dress and unfortunately for me, wouldn't take no for an answer. The Doctor had stared at me, open mouthed when I came out in my dress. "You look beautiful," he had told me before kissing me. Reinette danced with the Doctor while I somehow managed to grab the attention of the King. I danced with the King for bit before the Doctor interrupted. The King then danced with Reinette while I danced with the Doctor. I smiled up at him as we moved effortlessly across the dance floor. When the song ended, he kissed me softly and took me to get a drink. The Doctor examined the drinks available and a grin spread across his face. He pulled a banana from his suit jacket pocket.

"What are you doing?" I asked him as he grabbed several different bottles filled with various alcohols.

"I'm going to make a banana daiquiri," he told me, pouring one of the liquids into a glass.

"I think it's a bit early to be making that," I told him.

"It'll be fine," he assured me. One of the guests spotted the banana the Doctor had set on the table and came over to examine it. It wasn't long before half the ball guests were gathered around the Doctor, watching and waiting in fascination for their own banana daiquiri.

A little while later the Doctor and I headed back to the spaceship. "Rose! Mickey!" I called as we wandered the corridors looking for our once again missing companions.

"They never listen. Why do they never listened?" The Doctor complained.

"Too curious for their own good, much like you," I told him.

"Oi!" The Doctor protested and I chuckled.

We wound up back in the room we had originally landed in. I walked over to the monitor on the control panel. "Maybe we can find something on the security cameras," I suggested, pressing a button.

"Brilliant," the Doctor complimented, kissing the top of my head. We both watched the monitor. "There they are," the Doctor said, pointing to where Rose and Mickey stood on the screen. A couple of clockwork droids appeared behind them and injected them with something causing them to pass out.

I clenched my hands into fists. "They're going to pay for that," I growled. They may be only repair droids, but they had hurt my friends and I wasn't going to let them get away with that.

The Doctor placed a hand on my shoulder. "Calm down. We're going to save Rose and Mickey, but we need to come up with a plan," he said.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, unclenching my fists. "Right." I opened my eyes and looked up at him. "So, do you have anything in mind?"

He grinned slyly. "As a matter of fact, I do."

A few minutes later, the Doctor had his tie tied around his head and was wearing a pair of sunglasses. He put his arm around my shoulder and started singing at we staggered drunkenly through the spaceship corridors. "I could've danced all night, I could've danced all night," he sung loudly.

"They called him the. They called him the, the..." I heard Rose stutter.

The Doctor and I drunkenly danced into the room, each carrying a glass of wine. "And still have begged for more. I could've spread my wings and done a thou," we sung together. I stumbled against the Doctor and giggled.

"Have you met the French?" The Doctor asked. "My gosh, they know how to party."

"Oh, look at what the cat dragged in. The Oncoming Storm," Rose said bitterly. Her and Mickey were lying restrained on reclined tables. One of the androids had a knife pointed at Rose's throat.

"Oh, you sound just like your mother," the Doctor retorted.

"At least she can't slap you," I pointed out with a giggle.

"What've you been doing? Where've you been?" Rose asked angrily.

"Well, among other things, I think just invented the banana daiquiri a few centuries early," the Doctor answered casually.

"I told you it was too early," I told him smugly.

He ignored me and walked over to Rose. "Do you know, they've never even seen a banana before. Always take a banana to a party, Rose. Bananas are good."

"Good source of potassium," I added.

"Exactly!" The Doctor grinned. He turned his gaze to the android threatening Rose. "Oh ho, ho, ho, ho, brilliant. It's you. You're my favorite, you are. You are the best! Do you know why? Because you're so thick. You're Mister Thick Thick Thickity Thick Face from Thicktown, Thickania," he insulted the clockwork droid. I giggled. "And so's your dad," he added.

"Do you know what they were scanning Reinette's brain for?" I asked rhetorically. "Her milometer. They want to know how old she is. Know why? Doctor."

He nodded. "Because this ship is thirty seven years old, and they think that when Reinette is thirty seven, when she's complete, then her brain will be compatible," he continued with my explanation. He approached the droid by Rose. "So, that's what you're missing, isn't it, hmm? Command circuit. Your computer. Your ship needs a brain. And for some reason, only the brain of Madame de Pompadour will do."

" **The brain is compatible** ," the droid replied.

"Compatible?" The Doctor scoffed. "If you believe that, you probably believe this is a glass of wine." The Doctor removed the android's mask and poured the contents of his glass into its head, causing it to seize up. "Multigrain anti-oil. If it moves, it doesn't," he explained. The other droids moved towards us and the Doctor turned to me. "Wonder." I nodded and flicked the android off switch on the console and the androids slumped over. "Right, you two, that's enough lying about. Time we got the rest of the ship turned off." He freed Mickey and Rose.

"Are those things safe?" Mickey asked skeptically, eyeing the nonfunctional droids.

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah. Safe. Safe and thick, way I like them. Okay. All the time windows are controlled from here. I need to close them all down. Zeus plugs. Where are my Zeus plugs? I had them a minute ago," he muttered, patting his pockets.

"You were using them as castanets," I reminded him.

"Right."

"Why didn't they just open a time window to when she was thirty seven?" Rose asked.

"With the amount of damage to these circuits, they were lucky to hit the right century," I said, pressing a few buttons on the console. "Trial and error after that. The windows aren't closing. Why won't they close?" We looked around as a bell rang.

"What's that?" Rose asked.

The Doctor shrugged. "I don't know. Incoming message?"

"From who?" Mickey wondered.

"Report from the field. One of them must still be out there with Reinette," the Doctor mused.

"That's why I can't close the windows. There's an override," I realized. Just then the android the Doctor deactivated turned back on and expelled the oil onto the floor through its finger.

The Doctor shifted his foot away from the oil. "Well, that was a bit clever," he muttered. The off switch moved itself back on and the rest of the droids turned back on. "Right. Many things about this are not good. Message from one of your little friends? Anything interesting?" He asked the droids.

" **She is complete. It begins** ," one answered. They all touched their wrists and teleported out.

"What's happening?" Rose asked.

"One of them must have found the right time window. Now it's time to send in the troops. And this time they're bringing back her head," the Doctor explained.

"We need to warn her," I said.

"Right. We need to find another time window," the Doctor agreed. It took a couple minutes, but we managed to find a time window.

"Rose, you need to warn Reinette about the droids," I told her.

"Okay, but what do I tell her?" Rose inquired.

"Tell her they will come in five years, sometime after her 37th birthday. We can't give an exact date unfortunately," I told Rose.

"And tell her to keep them talking till Wonder and I can get there," the Doctor added.

"What about you two?" Rose asked.

"The Doctor and I need to find the time window where the droids went," I explained. Rose nodded and walked through the tapestry that concealed the time window. The Doctor and I went to go find the window to the time that the androids appeared in. "Come on, Mickey." Mickey followed.

Once the Doctor and I managed to find the correct time window, we sent Mickey to go get Rose. "You found it, then?" Rose asked as she and Mickey same running back into the room.

"They knew we was coming. They blocked it off," the Doctor said. I flicked a couple switches hoping to somehow get access to the time window, but nothing seemed to work. We all watched through the large mirror that served as the time window as Reinette and the King were escorted into the ballroom by a couple of clockwork droids. The guests of the party screamed and cowered as the androids herded them to the edges of the room.

"I don't get it. How come they got in there?" Rose asked.

"They teleported. You saw them. As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short range teleports will do the trick," the Doctor explained.

"Well, we'll go in the Tardis!" Rose suggested.

I shook my head, not taking my eyes of the time window. "We can't use the Tardis. We're part of events now."

"Well, can't we just smash through?" Mickey asked.

"Hyperplex this side, plate glass the other. We need a truck," the Doctor said.

"We don't have a truck," Mickey pointed out.

"I know we don't have a truck!" The Doctor shouted irritably. I clenched my fists and I watched the clockwork droids herd the guests, angry that I couldn't anything to help.

"Well, we've got to try something," Rose snapped.

The Doctor shook his head. "No. Smash the glass, smash the time window. There'd be no way back."

"Could everyone just calm down? Please," Reinette told the screaming guests calmly. I set my jaw and jogged off down the corridor.

"Wonder?" The Doctor called after me, but I ignored him.

 _'We may not have a truck, but I know what we do have,'_ I thought. I smiled as I found what I had been looking for and made my way back to the time window room.

"What are you doing?" The Doctor asked as I came back.

"We may not have a truck, but we do have Arthur," I said. The horse whose reigns I was holding snorted and bobbed his head as if to say 'that's right.'

The Doctor grinned. "Wonder, you are brilliant!"

"I do try my best," I replied slyly as he kissed my cheek. The Doctor grabbed Arthur's reigns from me and swung into the saddle. I went to climb on behind him, but he stopped me.

"No. You have to stay here," he told me.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked.

I glared at the Doctor. "I don't think so."

"Wonder, please," he pleaded, "Rose and Mickey need you here. They won't be able to fly the TARDIS without you."

"You must be an idiot if you think I'm going to let you go by yourself," I snapped.

The Doctor gazed at me softly then leaned down to capture my lips. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," he whispered to me. He sat up and kicked Arthur in the sides, causing the horse to spring into a gallop. Rose and Mickey jumped back to avoid being trampled as the horse ran by.

"Doctor!" I yelled after him, but it was too late. He and Arthur smashed through the time window. I stood in shock, staring at the brick wall where the time window had been.

Rose and Mickey came to stand beside me. "What happened? Where did the time window go? How's he going to get back?" Mickey asked.

"He can't. He's sealed off," Rose said, tears running down her cheeks.

"He will find a way. He has too," I said quietly. ' _He has too,_ ' I repeated in my head. I tore my gaze from the wall and stormed back to the TARDIS to wait. After pacing around the console room for an hour I decided to go change, as I was still wearing the dress Reinette had picked for me, and head to the library. I changed into a pair of gray yoga pants and a black t-shirt with the Tree of Gondor on it. I searched the shelves of the library, hoping to find a book to take my mind off my missing Doctor. I pulled _Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone_ off the shelf and sat down on a couch.

 **Third Person POV**

The Doctor came running back through the spaceship and grinned when he spotted Rose. "How long did you wait?" He asked as he engulfed her in a hug.

"Five and a half hours," Rose replied, sounding very relieved.

The Doctor nodded. "Great. Always wait five and a half hours." He shook Mickey's hand instead of hugging him.

"Where've you been?" Rose asked.

"Explain later," the Doctor said hurriedly. "Into the Tardis." He then noticed that something, or rather, someone was missing. "Where's Wonder?"

"She headed back to the TARDIS shortly after you left," Rose answered. "She was really upset."

The Doctor felt a stab of guilt. "Right..." He said slowly. "I'll deal with her in a moment. Be with you in a sec." He then rushed off, back into the fireplace to get Reinette so he could show her the stars like he had promised. Unfortunately, too much time had gone by and he listened sadly as the King told him of Reinette's passing. The King handed the Doctor a letter from Reinette addressed to him and Wonder.

"Why her?" Rose asked the Doctor once he was back on the TARDIS. "Why did they think they could repair the ship with the head of Madame de Pompadour?"

The Doctor sighed as he watched Reinette's fireplace burning from the TARDIS monitor. "We'll probably never know. There was massive damage in the computer memory banks. It probably got confused. The TARDIS can close down the time windows now the droids are gone. Should stop it causing any more trouble."

"Are you all right?" Rose asked him in concern.

The Doctor smiled sadly. "I'm always all right."

"Come on, Rose. It's time you showed me around the rest of this place," Mickey said quietly, tugging Rose along with him gently.

Once they were gone, the Doctor pulled out the letter the King had given him. He sighed, put it back in his jacket, and turned back to the monitor. He watched Reinette's fireplace go out. He sent the TARDIS into the Time Vortex before going to find Wonder.

 **Wonder's POV**

I didn't look up from my book as I heard someone enter the library. "Wonder?" The Doctor called. I didn't answer and turned the page of my book. "Wonder?" He called again, but I ignored him. I heard footsteps approach and the Doctor stopped in front of me. "Wonder, I'm back."

"I noticed," I replied curtly, still refusing to look up. I felt the cushion dip as the Doctor sat down next to me.

"Wonder," he said softly as I turned another page, "I'm sorry."

I stuck a bookmark in my book and closed it. "I should like to hope so," I snapped, finally looking at him. The Doctor flinched slightly at the ferocity of my gaze. "Did you even think about how it would make me feel if you left me behind?" I asked him angrily.

"I didn't want you to be stuck there and Rose and Mickey can't fly the TARDIS," he answered.

"I wouldn't have cared about being stuck there, because at least it would have been with you," I said, tears filling my eyes. "I just got you back and then you went and did that! I knew you would try to find a way to return, but since I can't remember any of the foreknowledge I had as Elena, I had no guarantee that you would be able to. And you were willing to just leave me behind on my own."

"I knew that you would be safe with the TARDIS and you would have had Rose and Mickey," he said, though he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself he had done the right thing.

"That may be true, but they're human. You know full well they won't be around forever. What was I supposed to do when they were gone?" I snapped.

"Travel? Pick up more companions?" He suggested weakly.

I closed my eyes as tears spilled down my cheeks. "Then I would be doing what you always did. The companions would be able to distract me for a while, but once they're gone I would be right back to being alone." I opened my eyes and placed a hand on the Doctor's cheeks. "I love you, Theta, and I don't want to be apart from you, even if it means I'm safe."

The Doctor wrapped his arms around me and buried his head in my hair. "I love you too, Aryia," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

I pulled back slightly and smiled softly. "I forgive you," I said and he smiled back. "But promise me you won't do that again. I've spent enough time on Gallifrey waiting for you to return."

He nodded. "I promise."

"Good." I closed the small gap between us and captured his lips in a passionate kiss. The Doctor eagerly returned the kiss, moving one hand to my waist and one to my neck to deepen the kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and started playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He moaned in content and I smiled against his lips. I squeaked in surprise as the Doctor suddenly grabbed my thighs and shifted me so I was straddling his lap. The Doctor chuckled and moved his lips from mine to kiss my neck. I moaned quietly as he found a sweet spot. I felt him smirk against my skin. He moved to my lips again.

"And this here is the library," Rose said as she opened the door. The Doctor and I broke apart, both of us breathing heavily. She and Mickey stopped abruptly at the sight of the Doctor and I. We all stared at each other. "On second thought, I think you would find the game room much more interesting," Rose said quickly as she and Mickey hurriedly backed out of the room.

"Way to ruin the moment," the Doctor muttered as I blushed at being caught in such a position by our companions. I moved a hand to the Doctor's chest and blinked when I felt the crinkle of paper. I reached into his suit jacket's inner pocket and pulled out a letter addressed to him and me.

"What's this?" I asked, examining the letter.

"The King gave that to me when I went back for Reinette," he said. I shifted off the Doctor's lap so I was sitting next to him and broke the seal on the letter.

 _My dear Doctor and Wonder. The path has never seemed more slow, and yet I fear I am nearing its end. Reason tells me that you and I are unlikely to meet again, but I think I shall not listen to reason. I have seen the world inside your head, Wonder, and know that all things are possible. Hurry though, my loves. My days grow shorter now, and I am so very weak. God speed, my lonely angels._

Tears once again filled my eyes as the Doctor and I read the letter. "I wish I had been able to say goodbye," I said sadly.

The Doctor wrapped an arm around me and kissed the top of my head. "Me too," he said softly, resting his cheek on my head. I brought my knees to my chest and leaned into the Doctor as we sat morning the loss of Reinette.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Please review and let me know your thoughts. Til next time.**


	20. Rise of the Cybermen

**Hello readers! Sorry for the delay. I've added a couple of paintings of Wonder to my pinterest account, the link to which can be found on my profile. Oh, and in answer to a reviewer's question, yes I will go into twelve's time. It will take a while of course. Anyway, on eith the next chapter. And once again, I only own my oc.**

* * *

I padded out of my bathroom after my shower and put on the outfit I had laid out on the bed. It consisted of a grey sweater over top of a teal, button down shirt. After slipping on my Converse, I made my way to the console room. As I got nearer, I could hear the Doctor and Rose talking animatedly about one of our previous adventures.

"Yeah! One minute she's standing there, and the next minute, rawwwh!" The Doctor laughed. He and Rose both mimicked fire coming out of their mouths and went into fits of laughter as I entered. The Doctor noticed me and grinned as I approached. "All clean?" He asked.

"Yup," I replied, giving a quick peck on the lips.

"Yeah... where... where was that, then? What happened?" Mickey asked from his place by the console.

"Oh, it was on this um... uh, this uh... planet thing, asteroid," the Doctor stuttered. "It's a long story, you had to be there."

I then noticed that Mickey was holding down a button on the console. "What're you doing that for?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"'Cos he told me to..." He answered pointing towards the Doctor with his free hand.

I furrowed my brows in confusion. "When was that?"

"About half an hour ago..." Mickey guessed.

I looked back at the Doctor. "Um. You can let go now," he told Mickey, shifting uncomfortably under my questioning gaze. Mickey let go of the button and Rose sniggered, but stopped when I sent her a sharp look.

"Well, how long's it been since I could've stopped?" Mickey asked.

"Ten minutes? Twenty?...Twenty-nine?" The Doctor mumbled.

I Gibb's slapped him. "You just forgot him?!"

"Ow! No, no, no! I was just... I was just... I was calibrating. I was just... no," the Doctor stuttered as he attempted to defended himself. "I know exactly what I'm doing." Suddenly, the TARDIS console exploded and we were all thrown to the ground. The Doctor and I scrambled to our feet and frantically tried to pilot the TARDIS.

"What's happened?!" Rose asked.

With some difficulty, I managed to get over to the monitor so I could see what was wrong. "Doctor...!" I gasped as I read the Gallifreyan in the screen.

"What is it?! What's wrong?!" He asked.

"The time vortex is gone!" I told him, my eyes wide with shock.

The Doctor scrambled over to the monitor to see for himself. His eyes also widened with shock. "That's impossible, it's just gone!" The TARDIS continued to spin out of control as everyone held on for dear life. "Brace yourself! We're gonna crash!" We crashed with a huge bang, causing us to loose our grips and topple to the ground. Gas masks dropped from the ceiling and all the lights in the TARDIS went out. "Everyone all right? Wonder, Rose, Mickey?" The Doctor asked in concern.

I groaned as I rolled over onto my back. "I'm okay," I replied. The Doctor reached out a hand to help me up.

"I'm fine. I'm okay, sorry," Mickey said from the other side of the console.

The Doctor and I stared at the quiet time rotor, smoke rising from the console. "She's dead," the Doctor whispered. "The TARDIS is dead." He slowly walked around the console while I stared at the smoking console sorrowfully.

"You can fix it?" Rose asked hopefully.

"There's nothing to fix. She's perished," the Doctor answered quietly. He pulled a lever in a vain attempt to get the TARDIS working again. "The last TARDIS in the universe... extinct."

"We can get help, yeah?"

"Where from?" The Doctor inquired.

"Well, we've landed, we've gotta be somewhere," Rose suggested.

The Doctor shook his head sadly. "We fell out of the vortex, through the void, into nothingness. We're in some sort of no-place... the silent realm... the lost dimension..."

"Otherwise known as London!" Mickey pipped up. I spun around and saw him peaking out the doors with a grin on his face. He laughed and stepped out, the rest of us following. We stepped out onto grass, cars honking as they drove by on a street next to us. We looked around at what definitely looked to be like London. "London, England, Earth. Hold on..." Mickey jumped down from a low wall and picked a newspaper out of a trashcan. "First of February this year," he read from the cover. "Not exactly far-flung, is it?" Rose looked over his shoulder at the newspaper.

"So, this is London," the Doctor mused, jumping up and down and glancing around. It looked like London, but something felt off and I could tell the Doctor felt it too.

"Yep," Mickey replied cheerfully.

"Your city."

"That's the one," Mickey confirmed.

"Just as we left it."

"Bang on."

"And that includes the zeppelins?" I asked, glancing at the sky. Rose and Mickey glanced at me, then followed my gaze.

"What the heck...?" Mickey gasped.

"That's beautiful," Rose said, staring at the zeppelins in awe.

"Okay. So, it's London with a big international zeppelin festival," Mickey suggested.

"This is not your world," the Doctor declared.

Mickey furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "But if the date's the same..." He thought for a moment then grinned. "It's parallel, right? Am I right? Like a parallel Earth where they've got Zeppelins, am I right? I'm right, aren't I?"

I nodded. "Must be."

"So, a parallel world where..." Rose trailed off.

"Oh, come on. You see it on films," Mickey said. "Like an alternative to our world were everything's the same but a little bit different, like... I dunno - traffic lights are blue, Tony Blair never got elected..."

"And he's still alive..." Rose said quietly, staring at a poster. We followed her gaze. The poster was of her father, a seemingly successful businessman, holding a bottle of Vitex.

"A parallel world and my dad's still alive..." She walked towards the poster.

"Don't look at it, Rose," the Doctor told her sternly. "Don't even think about it. This is not your world."

"But he's my dad... and..." She said wistfully. She reached our a hand to touch the poster. Pete Tyler seemed to come to life and said 'trust me on this.' "Oh, that's weird," she muttered, stepping back. "But he's real!"

"Trust me on this," poster Pete repeated.

"He's a success!" Rose said happily. "He was always planning these daft little schemes, health-food drinks and stuff. Everyone said they were useless. But he did it."

The Doctor grabbed Rose by her shoulders. "Rose, if you've ever trusted me, then listen to me now," he said urgently. Rose glanced back at the poster. "Stop looking at it! Your father's dead. He died when you were six months old. That is not your Pete. That is _A_ Pete. For all we know, he's got his own Jackie, his own Rose. His own daughter who is someone else, but not you." Rose glanced back at the poster again. "You can't see him. Not ever." Rose hesitated, but nodded. Mickey placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Look after her," the Doctor told Mickey, who nodded. The Doctor and I headed back to the TARDIS to see if there was anyway to fix her. I sighed sadly as I looked around the dark console room. The Doctor wrapped an arm around my shoulders and drew me to his side.

"There must be something we can do," I said quietly.

"All we can do is try," the Doctor said, kissing the top of my head. We flicked different switches and pressed different buttons. The Doctor even got under the console and tried messing with the wiring. We tried everything we could think off, but the TARDIS remained as dark and quiet as ever. A little while later, Mickey walked into the TARDIS, without Rose.

"I told you to keep an eye on her!" The Doctor yelled at Mickey.

"She's all right..." Mickey said dismissively.

"She goes wandering off, parallel world, it's like a gingerbread house! All those temptations calling out," the Doctor snapped.

"Doctor..." I warned.

"Oh, so it's just Rose then? Nothing out there to tempt me?" Mickey retorted.

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, I don't know, I can't worry about everything... if I could just get this thing to..." He kicked the TARDIS console in frustration and walked over the the captains chair, scowling.

"Did that help?" I asked, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," the Doctor snapped.

"Did that hurt?" Mickey asked, also raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. Ow." The Doctor sat down and rubbed his sore foot.

"Would you like me to kiss it to make it better?" I asked, chuckling lightly, despite our gloomy situation.

The Doctor glanced at me. "My foot, no. My lips on the other hand..." I rolled my eyes, but obliged and walked over to give him a kiss. I sat down next to him and leaned my head on his shoulder while he wrapped and arm around my shoulders. "We're not meant to be here," the Doctor muttered. "The TARDIS draws its power off the universe, but it's the wrong universe. It's like diesel in a petrol engine."

Mickey walked over and sat on the other side of the Doctor. "But... I've seen it in comics. People are hopping from one alternative world to another, it's easy."

"Maybe, but we're not in the comics. We're in the real world, Mickey," I reminded him.

"Used to be easy. When the Time Lords kept their eye on everything, you could hop between realities, home in time for tea," the Doctor said sadly. "Then they died, took it all with them. The walls of reality closed, the worlds were sealed. Everything became that bit less kind." I reached out and slipped my hand into his.

"Then how did we get here?" Mickey asked.

The Doctor shrugged hopelessly. "I dunno. Accident? Should've been impossible, now we're trapped." I closed my eyes and sighed. When I opened them again, something below the console caught my eye.

"What's that?" I wondered, sitting up to get a better look.

"What's what?" The Doctor asked.

"There under the console." I pointed to were I was looking. It was a small green light.

"What?" Mickey asked.

The Doctor shifted his position to see what I was pointing at. "It can't be a reflection," I mused. The Doctor and I got on our hands and knees to further inspect the light.

"It's a light!" The Doctor said excitedly. "Is it? Is that a light? I think that's a light! That's all we need!" I helped him remove the grating and we began digging through the jumbles of wires and other junk. "We've got power! Wonder, Mickey, we've got power! Ha!"

"It's alive!" I squealed happily as the Doctor and I continued to pull different pieces junk out from the hole in the grating. Finally, the Doctor pulled out the source of the green light.

"What is it?" Mickey asked, eyeing the small round object in the Doctor's hand curiously.

"It's nothing," the Doctor answered. "It's tiny. One of those insignificant little power cells that no one ever bothers about, and it's clinging onto life. But with one little ounce of reality tucked away inside."

"Enough to get us home?" Mickey asked hopefully.

"Not yet," I answered. The Doctor and I sat on the small set of stairs under the grilling.

"I need to charge it up," the Doctor said, holding the power cell carefully.

"We could go outside and latch it up to the national grid!" Mickey suggested.

I shook my head. "Wrong sort of energy. It's gotta come from our universe."

"But we don't have anything," Mickey pointed out.

"There's me..." The Doctor said. Before he could do anything, I placed my hands on his. The Doctor looked at me. "What are you doing?"

"Helping. What does it look like?" I replied.

"There's no need, Wonder," he said. "I can do this."

"I know you can. But I can charge it just as easily as you can, not to mention I have more regenerations left than you do," I reminded him.

"Maybe, but I'm not going to let you give some of your life just to charge this," he replied.

"Which is why I was going to suggest that we split the years."

The Doctor blinked. "You sure?"

I nodded. "Yes." He nodded and together we blew gently onto the power cell. It glowed brightly and the Doctor and I beamed.

"We each just gave away five years of our lives," the Doctor explained to Mickey.

"Worth every second!" I giggled happily. We watched the power cell with huge grins. The light began to fade.

"It's going out. Is that okay?" Mickey asked, panicking a bit.

"It's on a recharging cycle," I reassured him. The power cell glowed brighter for a moment before dimming again.

"It'll loop round, power back up and be ready to take us home in, oh, twenty-four hours?" The Doctor guessed. He kissed the power cell happily.

"So, that gives us twenty-four hours on a parallel world?" Mickey said.

"Surely! As long as we keep our heads down. Easy. No problem," the Doctor said, tossing the power cell in the air and catching it again. He stood up and held a hand out to me. "Let's go and tell her."

"When have you ever been able to keep your head down?" I asked the Doctor as he helped me up.

"All the time," he replied indignantly. I raised an eyebrow at him as we walked out of the TARDIS to find Rose. "Well, most of the time," he corrected himself. I crossed my arms. "Well, some of the time." I raised the other eyebrow. "Well, once or twice," he said hesitantly, tugging at his ear.

"Can you name me one time when you _haven't_ just dived straight into the path of danger?" I challenged. He opened and closed his mouth a couple times, making him look like a fish out of water.

"I'll get back to you on that," he decided.

"That's what I thought," I smirked.

"Oh shut up."

"Never," I replied, taking his hand and kissing him on the cheek.

We eventually found Rose sitting on bench by the river. "There you are!" The Doctor called cheerfully. "You all right? No applause, I fixed it!" He showed Rose the power cell.

I elbowed him. " _We_ fixed it."

"Right, we fixed it," the Doctor corrected. "Twenty-four hours, then we're flying back to reality." He plopped himself down on the bench next to her and held up the power cell for her. Rose didn't even glance at it.

"What's wrong?" I asked her, glancing at the phone she had in her hand.

"My phone connected," she said quietly. "There's this... Cybus Network, it finds your phone. It gave me Internet access."

"Rose, whatever it says, this is the wrong world," the Doctor insisted firmly.

"I don't exist," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"There's no Rose Tyler. I was never born. There's Pete, my dad, and Jackie... he still married mum... but they never had kids."

"Give me that phone," the Doctor ordered, grabbing for her mobile, but Rose pulled it out of his grasp.

"They're rich. They've got a house and cars, and everything they want." Rose paused. "But they haven't got me." I stared at her sadly. Tears filled her eyes as she stood up suddenly. "I've gotta see him."

"You can't," the Doctor protested.

"I just wanna see him," Rose insisted.

"I can't let you!" The Doctor snapped.

"You just said twenty-four hours!" Rose reminded him angrily.

The Doctor glared at her. "You can't become their daughter, that's not the way it works! Mickey, tell her."

"Twenty-four hours, yeah?" Mickey asked, starting to walk off.

"Where're you going?" The Doctor asked in bewilderment.

"Well, I can do what I want!" Mickey replied.

"I've got the address and everything," Rose added, walking backwards in the opposite direction. I sighed in exasperation.

The Doctor glanced back and forth between them frantically. "Stay where you are, both of you! Rose, come back here! Mickey, come back here right now!"

"I just wanna see him," Rose repeated.

"Yeah, I've got things to see and all," Mickey added.

"Like what?!" The Doctor asked.

"Well, you don't know anything about me, do ya?" Mickey snapped. "It's always about Rose. I'm just a spare part."

"Mickey!" I scolded. How many times do I have to tell him?

"I'm sorry. I've gotta go," Rose said walking off. The Doctor glanced in between the two humans, desperately trying to figure out what to do.

"Go on then," Mickey snapped. "No choice, is there? You can only chase after one of us, and it's never gonna be me, is it?"

"Doctor, go with Rose. I'll watch out for Mickey," I told him.

"But, Wonder-" the Doctor started to complain.

"No buts," I said, cutting him off. "There are two of them and two of us. Only one of us needs to go with Rose. I'll go with Mickey. Rose has a phone, so you can call me if you need to."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but decided against it. "Back here in twenty-four hours," He decided.

"See you then," I told him, kissing him on the cheek and jogging to catch up with Mickey.

"What are you doing?" Mickey asked me as I ran up beside him.

"Coming with you," I replied, stuffing my hands in my pockets.

Mickey gave me a confused look. "Why aren't you with Rose and the Doctor?"

"I think the Doctor is perfectly capable of keeping an eye on Rose by himself."

"What, so you came to keep an eye on me?" He asked irritably.

"No, I came with you so _you_ could keep an eye on _me_. The Doctor doesn't need two people to look after," I told him.

Mickey stopped walking and blinked. "You want _me_ to keep an eye on _you_?"

"That's what I just said," I confirmed.

"Need I remind you what happened on the spaceship," Mickey said. "Those robots captured Rose and me."

"Yes, but what about what you did at the school?" I countered. "You got all those kids to safety. Not to mention you saved the world back with the Slitheen."

"Yeah, by launching a missile at them," Mickey muttered.

"Still saved the world though. The whole world would have gone up like 10 Downing Street if you hadn't launched that missile," I reminded him. "Still think you can't look after me?" I asked with a smirk. Mickey didn't reply, but he smiled. "Come on, tin dog, lead the way." Mickey sent me a mock glare and I grinned back cheekily. He sighed and shook his head with a small smile and continued walking.

Mickey and I approached a gated road. Two soldiers stood guard. "Are we all right to get past?" Mickey asked the soldiers.

"Yeah. No bother. Curfew doesn't start 'til ten," one of the soldiers replied.

"There's a curfew?" Mickey asked in confusion.

The soldiers stared at him in surprise. "Course there is. Where've you been living, mate? Up there with the toffs?" The soldier gestured to the zeppelins.

"I wish," Mickey muttered. "See ya." The soldiers lifted the barrier for us and we continued down the road.

"What are you going to tell your gran?" I asked Mickey as we continued walking.

"How did you know?" Mickey asked in surprise.

I shrugged. "It wasn't that hard to work out. You told me your gran raised you after your parents left, so who else would you be seeing in a parallel world?"

"Good point."

"So what are you going to tell her? You can't exactly tell her you're her grandson from a parallel world."

Mickey sighed. "I don't know. Figured I figure it out when I got there."

Mickey and I arrived in a run-down looking area and we crossed the street. Mickey's pace slowed as we neared one of the houses. I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked him.

He nodded. "I have to see if she's still alive." He walked up to the door and knocked.

"Who's that there?" An elderly woman called from inside. The door opened to reveal Mickey's blind grandmother. "Who is it? I know you're there. Shame on you, tricking an old lady," she scolded. "I've got nothing worth stealing." She brandished her walking stick at us. "And don't think I'm gonna disappear! You're not gonna take me."

"Hi," Mickey greeted quietly. I stood behind Mickey, watching them silently.

His gran froze. "Is that you?" She whispered.

"It's me," Mickey assured his gran. "I came home."

His gran reached out a hand to touch his face. "Ricky?" I blinked.

"It's Mickey," Mickey corrected.

"I know my own grandson's name. It's Ricky," his gran insisted. "Now, come here." Mickey embraced his gran tightly.

' _Of course Mickey's parallel would be named Ricky,_ ' I thought.

Mickey chuckled, happy to see his gran again. "Okay, I'm Ricky. Of course I am. Ricky, that's me." Suddenly, his gran shoved him away and smacked his shoulder. "Ow!"

"You stupid boy." _Smack_ "Where've you been?" She demanded.

"Ow! Stop hitting me!" Mickey pleaded.

She smacked him a few more times. "It's been days and days! I keep hearing all these stories. People disappearing off the streets. There's nothing of it on the download," she said, pointing to her earpiece. "But there're all these rumors, and... and whispers. I thought that you had disappeared!" I eyed her earpiece curiously. I had noticed other people wearing them. In fact, everyone seemed to be wearing them.

Mickey then noticed something behind his gran. "That carpet on the stairs," he started, his voice shaking, "I told you to get it fixed, you're gonna..." he closed his eyes, "fall and break your neck."

"Well, you get it fixed for me," his gran snapped.

"I should' a done way back. I guess I'm just kinda useless," Mickey mumbled.

"Now, I never said that," his gran protested.

"I am, though," Mickey said, his voice cracking. "And I'm sorry, gran. I'm so sorry."

"Don't talk like that," his gran scolded. "Do you know what you need? A nice sit down and a cuppa tea. You got time?"

"For you, I've got all the time in the world," Mickey replied with a smile.

His gran laughed. "You say that, but it's all talk. It's those new friends of yours. I don't trust them."

"What friends are they?" Mickey asked.

"Don't pretend you don't know," she said. "You've been seeing them. Mrs Chan told me. Driving about all helter-skelter, in that van." Just then I heard the screech of tires.

"What van's that, then?" Mickey inquired. I turned around and spotted a van rounding the corner and heading in our direction.

"You know full well! Don't play games with me," she snapped. Before I could say anything, the van stopped behind Mickey and I. "Get inside!" Mickey's gran shouted at him.

A young man with bleach blonde hair jumped out of the van and grabbed Mickey by his collar. "I've been looking for you everywhere!" The guy said, shoving Mickey into the van.

"Mickey!" I yelled, running and jumping into the van just before the guy could close the door. The van took off as soon as the door was closed.

"Oi! Who are you?!" the guy asked me.

"I'm with him," I answered, pointing to Mickey. "The name's Wonder."

"Jake and that's Mrs. Moore," the blonde guy introduced, gesturing the the driver. He turned to Mickey. "Ricky, you were the one who told us, you don't contact your family 'cos it puts them in danger!" He reprimanded.

"Yeah. Ricky said that," Mickey mumbled. "Course I did, just testing."

"I saw them. I taped them!" Jake said excitedly. "They went round Black Friars gathering up the homeless like a child-catcher. They must've took four dozen."

"The vans were hired out to a company called International Electromatics," Mrs. Moore explained. "But I did a protocol search... turns out that's a dummy company established by guess who?"

Mickey shrugged. "I dunno, who?"

"Cybus Industries!" Jake and Mrs. Moore said together. Mickey simply nodded, going along with it.

I put a hand to my chin thoughtfully. ' _Rose said something about her phone connecting to Cybus Network. They must be connected._ '

"And now we've got evidence!" Jake told Mrs. Moore excitedly.

"Bad news is, they've arrested Thin Jimmy," Mrs. Moore informed Mickey. "So that just leaves you."

Mickey blinked. "Leaves me what?"

"The Number One. Top of the list. London's Most Wanted," Jake said, grinning.

Mickey nodded. "Okay, cool." He paused. "Say that again?" I chuckled.

The van pulled up outside a house and Jake hopped out first. "There's a light on. There's someone inside the base," Jake noticed. Mickey and I hopped out next. "Mrs Moore, we've got visitors." Jake motioned us to follow him as he snuck along the side of the house, gun at the ready. We crouched just outside the door. "One... two... three... go!" Jake and Mrs. Moore burst into the house, holding their guns aloft. Mickey and I followed suit.

We all stopped short as we were faced with Mickey's parallel copy. "What the heck are you doing?" Ricky asked angrily.

Mrs. Moore and Jake glanced back and forth between Ricky and Mickey in bewilderment. "What're you doing there?!" Jake asked Ricky.

Ricky took a couple steps forward. "What am I doing here? What am I doing there?" Ricky asked, staring at Mickey with furrowed eyebrows. He pointed at Mickey accusingly and Jake and Mrs. Moore swung their guns on Mickey and I.

"Parley?" I asked hopefully as Mickey and I raised our hands defensively.

"Who are you?" Jake demanded.

"I'm Wonder and that's Mickey," I said, eyeing the guns pointed at Mickey and I.

"A likely story," Mrs. Moore scoffed.

"Tie them up," Ricky ordered.

Mickey was stripped to his boxers and tied to a chair. I was also tied to a chair, but thankfully I got to keep my clothes. Jake scanned us with a device and Mrs. Moore checked the results on her computer.

"They're clean. No bugs," Jake told Ricky.

Ricky eyed Mickey suspiciously. "But this is off the scale. He's flesh and blood, how did that happen?"

"Well, it could be that Cybus Industries have perfected the science of human cloning...?" Mrs. Moore suggested. "Or your father had a bike?"

Ricky glared at Mickey, circling like a predator hunting his prey. "Your name is Mickey, not Ricky?"

Mickey nodded. "Mickey. Dad was Jackson Smith. Used to work at the key cutters in Cliffton's Parade. Went to Spain, never came back."

Ricky bent over and got in Mickey's face. "But that's my dad. So... we're brothers?"

"Be fair. What else could it be?" Jake said.

Ricky eyed Mickey skeptically. "I don't know. But he doesn't just look like me, he is exactly the same. There's something else going on here, Jake." He turned his gaze to me. "And what about her? Who are you?"

"I already told you. My name is Wonder. I'm a friend of Mickey," I said. "And I can assure you we have nothing to do with Cybus Industries."

"Why should we believe you?" Ricky asked, glaring at me.

"I realize that you have no reason to believe us. I assume that the ear pieces that everyone's wearing are from Cybus Industries?" I guessed. Ricky nodded. "Well, if you haven't noticed, Mickey and I aren't wearing any." I turned my head from side to side so he could get a clear view of my ears. "If we were from Cybus Industries, wouldn't we be wearing ear pieces?" I pointed out.

"I s'pose," Ricky grumbled reluctantly.

"So, who are you lot?" Mickey asked.

Ricky started circling Mickey's chair again. "We, we are the Preachers. As in Gospel Truth. You see?" He gestured to his ears. "No ear plugs. While the rest of the world downloads from Cybus Industries, we, we have got freedom. You're talking to London's Most Wanted. But target Number One is Lumic, and we are going to bring him down."

Mickey blinked. "From your kitchen?"

Jake smirked. "Have you got a problem with that?" Rickey asked, glaring at Mickey.

"No, it's a good kitchen," Mickey said quickly.

"Clever," I added.

Suddenly, Mrs. Moore's laptop beeped. "It's an upload from Gemini," she announced.

"Who is Gemini?" I asked curiously.

"The vans are back. They're moving out of Battersea. Looks like Gemini was right. Lumic's finally making a move," Mrs. Moore said, ignoring my question.

"And we are right behind him. Pack up, we're leaving," Ricky ordered.

"Sounds great, but could you unite us first?" I asked.

We all piled into the van and drove off. Mickey and I sat in the back with Jake and Mrs. Moore. Jake handed Mrs. Moore a gun. We arrived at a mansion and Ricky and Jake hopped out. "You three stay here," Ricky ordered. "Jake and I are going to check things out." They jogged off. Mrs. Moore typed a bit on her laptop.

"I've identified the address. It belongs to Peter Tyler. The Vitex millionaire," she informed Mickey and I.

"Pete Tyler?" Mickey asked.

"He's listed as one of Lumic's henchmen. A traitor to the state," Mrs. Moore explained.

My eyes widened. "That's where the Doctor and Rose would have gone," I gasped.

Mickey's eyes also widened. "But... but... we've gotta get in there," Mickey said.

" **Now, shut it, duplicate, that's what I just said,** " Ricky said over the comms. " **What're they doing...? What the hell are they?** "

"Ricky, Jake, what's going on?" I asked. Neither one of them replied. I groaned in frustration. I turned as Mickey got to his feet and opened the van door. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go help," he replied. "If Ricky and Jake are in danger then that means Rose and the Doctor are too." He jumped out of the van.

"Wait for me then," I told him, moving to jump out after him.

Mickey faced me. "You stay here."

"What? Why?" I asked.

"The Doctor would kill me if I put you in danger."

"Then I'll stop him before he can then," I retorted, moving once again to hop out of the van, but Mickey stopped me.

"You told me I was to look out for you," he reminded me. "That's exactly what I'm doing."

"Mickey-"

"No," Mickey said firmly, interrupting me. "You're my friend, Wonder, and I want to make sure your safe. So please, stay here."

I stared at him before sighing and nodding. "Fine," I conceded reluctantly, "but it doesn't mean I like it."

"I didn't ask you to like it," Mickey replied.

"Be careful!" I called after him as he ran off to find the others. I slammed the van door shut and sat down heavily in one of the seats in the back.

"He seems like a nice kid," Mrs. Moore commented from the front seat.

"Yeah, he is," I said with a small smile. Suddenly, a vision like the one back at the school flashed through my mind. I saw the Doctor, Rose, Mickey, Jake, Rickey, and Pete Tyler standing with their hands raised defensively as they were surrounded by humanoid figures. When the vision ended, I shot to my feet and looked out the front window.

"What's wrong?" Mrs. Moore asked in concern. I didn't answer right away. I stared into the dark. Then my Time Lady hearing picked up a sound, a sound I had hoped _never_ to hear.

"No," I whispered. "It can't be."

"What is it?" Mrs. Moore asked urgently.

I then caught sight of the creatures making the sound I had heard. "Cybermen," I growled. The Doctor had told me of his encounters with the Cybermen and the destruction they had caused.

"What are Cybermen?" Mrs. Moore inquired.

"They used to be human, but everything that made them human has been removed," I told her. "They're now just a brain inside a metal suit."

"What do you think they want?"

"To upgrade the human race," I said, watching the Cybermen march across the lawn.

"And if we don't want to be upgraded?" She asked apprehensively.

"They delete you."

* * *

 **Please reveiw.**


	21. Age of Steel

**Hello readers! Sorry I've been late with updates recently. I've been busy trying to keep up with homework. I might need to start only updating once a week. I had a reviewer ask what a Gibb's slap was, so for those of you who don't know, a Gibb's slap is when you smack someone on the back of the head. I call it that because in the show NCIS the head of the investigation team, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, regularly smacks one of his agents, Tony Dinozzo, on the back of the head. Now you know. Anyway, on with the show! Oh, and once again, I own nothing but my oc.**

* * *

 _Previously:_

 _"And if we don't want to be upgraded?" She asked apprehensively._

 _"They delete you."_

* * *

"The Cybermen will be after the others and I don't know about you, but I'm not going to sit around and wait while my friends are in danger," I decided. I turned to Mrs. Moore. "What do you say about initiating a rescue mission?"

"You read my mind," Mrs. Moore replied. She turned on the van and threw it into gear. She slammed her foot on the gas and I had to grab onto the seat to keep from being knocked to the floor.

I saw a flash of light in the distance. "That'll be them," I told her.

"Right," she said jerking the wheel towards where we saw the light. We spotted the group running and Mrs. Moore pulled up next to them, blowing the van's horn.

I yanked the van door open. "Get in!" I shouted at them. Mickey, Jake, and Ricky immediately jumped in.

Pete Tyler tried to run back to the house, but the Doctor grabbed his arm. "I've gotta go back, my wife's in there," Pete said desperately.

"Anyone inside that house is dead," the Doctor told him. "If you wanna help, then don't let her die for nothing. You've gotta come with us right now." Pete nodded after a moments hesitation and jumped in the van. Rose was staring back at the house.

"Come on, get a move on!" Mrs. Moore shouted, honking the horn again.

"Doctor! Rose! We don't have time!" I yelled at them. The Doctor went over to Rose and said something quietly to her. She nodded and he pushed her towards the van. They both jumped in and I slammed the door shut and Mrs. Moore drove off.

"Finished chatting?!" She snapped. "Never seen a slower getaway in my life!"

I sat down next to the Doctor and smacked his arm, hard. "Ow!" He yelped. "What was that for?!"

"For putting yourself and Rose in danger!" I told him angrily.

"How was I supposed to know we would run into Cybermen?!" He asked defensively. I ignored him and grabbed the lapels of his tux, tugging him down into a passionate kiss. He quickly got over his shock at the suddenness of the kiss and wrapped his arms around me, deepening the kiss.

I pulled away and placed my forehead against his. "Don't do that again," I told him quietly. "I was so worried."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you," he replied.

"That light? Was that the power cell?" I asked. The Doctor nodded and opened his hand, which was still holding the power cell.

"What was that thing?" Ricky asked, glaring at the power cell from his place in the front passenger seat.

"Little bit of technology from my home," the Doctor answered.

"It's stopped glowing. Has it run out?" Mickey asked anxiously.

The Doctor slipped the power cell back into his pocket. "It's on a revitalizing loop. It'll charge back up in about four hours," he assured Mickey.

"Right. So, we don't have a weapon anymore," Ricky said bitterly.

"Yeah, we've got weapons," Jake said from his spot next to Ricky. "Might not be one of those metal things, but they're good enough for men like him." He glared at Pete who was sitting next to Rose.

"Leave him alone! What's he done wrong?" Rose snapped, her voice rising shrilly.

"Oh, you know, just laid a trap that's wiped out the Government. And left Lumic in charge," Jake retorted.

"If I was part of all that, do you think I'd leave my wife inside?" Pete snapped.

"Maybe your plan went wrong. Still gives us the right to execute you, though," Ricky said.

"Talk about executions, you'll make me your enemy. And take some really good advice, you don't wanna do that," the Doctor said in a warning tone, giving Ricky a dark look.

"All the same... we have evidence that says Pete Tyler's been working for Lumic since 20.5," Ricky informed us.

Rose looked taken aback by this information. "Is that true?" She asked Pete. Pete didn't answer, but I could tell he was uncomfortable.

"Tell 'em, Mrs M," Ricky said.

"We've got a government mole who feeds us information," Mrs. Moore explained. "Lumic's private files, his South American operations... the lot. Secret broadcasts twice a week."

"Broadcast from Gemini?" Pete asked.

Ricky narrowed his eyes at Pete. "And how do you know that?" He asked suspiciously.

"I'm Gemini. That's me," Pete said quickly.

"Yeah, well you would say that," Ricky muttered.

"Encrypted wavelength six-five-seven using binary nine," Pete said. Ricky and Jake glanced at each other. "That's the only reason I was working for Lumic. To get information. I thought I was broadcasting to the Security Services, and what do I get? Scooby Doo and his gang. They've even got the van!"

"What's wrong with Scooby Doo?" I asked Pete.

"No, no, no!" Mickey said, furrowing his brows in confusion. "But the Preachers know what they're doing. Ricky said he's London's Most Wanted!"

"Yeah, that's not exactly..." Rickey trailed off.

Mickey turned his head to his double. "Not exactly what?"

"I'm London's Most Wanted for... parking tickets," Ricky replied sheepishly. The Doctor smile and I chuckled while Rise raised her eyebrows.

"Great," Peter grumbled.

"They were deliberate!" Ricky said defensively. "I was fighting the system! Park anywhere, that's me." The Doctor nodded appreciatively.

"Good policy," I commented. "He's the same way." I jerked my head towards the Doctor.

"I'm the Doctor by the way," he added.

"And I'm Rose. Hello!" Rose said, waving cheerfully.

"Even better," Pete muttered. "That's the name of my dog. Still, at least I've got the catering staff on my side."

Rose looked at Pete. "I knew you weren't a traitor," she told him quietly.

"Why's that, then?" Pete asked her, raising his eyebrows.

Rose glanced at the Doctor and I. "I just did," she answered carefully.

"They took my wife," Pete said.

"She might still be alive," Rose suggested.

"That's even worse. 'Cos that's what Lumic does. He takes the living... and he turns them into those machines," Pete said sadly.

"Cybermen," the Doctor said. Everyone looked at him. "They're called Cybermen. And I'd take those ear-pods off, if I were you." Pete quickly did so and handed them to the Doctor. "You never know... Lumic could be listening." He disabled the ear-pods with his sonic. "But he's overreached himself. He's still just a businessman. He's assassinated the President. All we need to do is get to the City and inform the authorities. Because I promise you, this ends tonight," he finished firmly.

Mrs. Moore finally stopped the van and we all hopped out. We walked along the street where we watched, bemused as all the people marched towards the same direction. "What the heck...?" Jake mumbled.

"What's going on?" Rose asked.

"It's the ear-pods. Lumic's taking control," the Doctor said.

"Can't we just... I dunno, take them off?" Rose reached out to a man to take his ear-pods out.

I grabbed her wrist firmly. "Don't!" I warned her. "It'll cause a brainstorm."

"Human Race, for such an intelligent lot, you aren't half susceptible," the Doctor complained "Give anyone a chance to take control and you submit. Sometimes I think you like it. Easy life."

"Hey," Jake called. He and Ricky were crouched, peering around a corner. "Come and see." The Doctor, Rose, Mickey, Pete, Mrs. Moore, and I joined them. A row of Cybermen were marching alongside the people under the control of the ear-pods.

"Where are they all going?" Rose asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know. Lumic must have a base of operation."

"Battersea," Pete replied and we all turned to look at him. "That's where he was building his prototypes."

"Why's he doing it?" Rose asked.

"He's dying," Pete explained. "This all started out as a way of life by keeping the brain alive. At any cost."

"The thing is, I've seen Cybermen before, haven't I?" Rose asked the Doctor. "That head, those handle shapes in Van Statten's museum."

"Ah, there are Cybermen in our universe," the Doctor told her.

"Used to tell me stories about his encounters with them," I added.

"They started on an ordinary world just like this, then swarmed across the galaxy," the Doctor explained. "This lot are a parallel version, and they're starting from scratch right here on earth."

"What the heck are you three on about?" Pete asked.

"Never mind that. Come on, we need to get out of the City," Rickey said. He turned, but quickly changed his mind when he spotted Cybermen making they're way towards us. "Okay, split up, Mrs Moore, you look after that bloke." He pointed to Mickey. "Jake, distract them, go right, I'll go left, we'll meet back at Bridge Street. Move." He ran off in one direction and Jake went in the other.

"I'm going with him," Mickey told Rose. He kissed Rose briefly and took off after Ricky.

"Come on, let's go," Mrs. Moore urged. We all ran. We saw more Cybermen marching down the street.

"There!" I shouted and we bolted down an alley, Cybermen in pursuit. We crouched behind a bunch of garbage can. I gripped the Doctor's hand tightly. The Cybermen stopped by our hiding place and my hearts thudded against my chest. The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at them. It bleeped and the Cybermen moved along. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding. Rose stood, letting go of Pete's hand. They glanced at each other and I could tell Pete was confused as to why Rose seemed so comfortable around him. We all stood wearily and watched as the Cybermen marched off.

"Go," the Doctor whispered, my hand still held tightly in his. We creeped out from behind the garbage cans and ran in the opposite direction of the Cybermen.

We ran to the rendezvous and waited for the others. "I ran past the river," Jake told us as he ran up to us. "You should've seen it, the whole City's on the watch. Hundreds of Cybermen all down the Thames." Another figure came running towards us, though I couldn't tell if it was Ricky or Mickey. Jake turned and his face lit up. "Here he is!" Jake said happily, not noticing at first that there was only one figure. Ricky/Mickey didn't reply and Jake furrowed his brow. "Which one are you?" I examined his face and recognized him as Mickey. I frowned at the look on Mickey's face. Something was wrong.

"I'm sorry. The Cybermen. He couldn't..." Mickey stuttered, seeming unable to form a sentence. I gasped and brought a hand to my mouth as I realized what must have happened.

"Are you Ricky? ARE YOU RICKY?!" Jake asked desperately.

"Mickey, that's you, isn't it?" Rose asked hopefully.

Mickey nodded. "Yeah." Rose ran to him and threw her arms around him. Jake remained silent. Tears filled my eyes and the Doctor wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side. "He tried. He was running..." Mickey tried to explain to Jake, but Jake was having none of it. He turned away, but Mickey went after him. "There was too many of them."

"Shut it," Jake growled, his face contorted in pain of losing his friend.

"There was nothing I could do," Mickey insisted.

Jake spun around to face Mickey. "I said just shut it. Don't even talk about him. You're nothing, you are," Jake snapped. Both his eyes and Mickey's were red and shining with unshed tears. "Nothing."

"Don't you dare call him nothing," I growled at Jake, a few tears sliding down my cheeks. Jake ignored me, but I noticed Mickey glance at me.

"We can mourn him when London is safe. But now, we move on," the Doctor said calmly, his arm still wrapped around me. Everyone nodded miserably. "Come on." The Doctor grabbed my hand and walked towards the river.

We stood on a hill overlooking the Thames River. A huge factory sat on the other side. Plumes of black smoke billowed from the pillars on top and a Zeppelin sat in between them. "The whole of London's been sealed off, and the entire population's been taken inside that place. To be 'converted'," the Doctor said, pointing to the factory.

"We've gotta get in there and shut it down," Rose said.

"How do we do that?" Mickey wondered.

"Oh, I'll think of something," the Doctor replied.

"You're just making this up as you go along!" Mickey told him indignantly.

"Yuuuup. But I do it brilliantly," the Doctor said. Rose smirked and Mickey shrugged in an agreeing manner.

"Yes you do," I chuckled. I had calmed down a bit, but I was still mad at Jake.

Mrs. Moore pulled her laptop out and brought up a 3D model of the factory. "That's a schematic of the old factory. Look, cooling tunnels... underneath the plant... big enough to walk through," she explained as we crowded around her on the bench she was sitting on. Jake stood off to the side, not really paying attention. The Doctor had put on his brainy specs and was examining the model intently.

"We go under there and up into the control centre?" I asked, indicating a particular area on the model. Mrs. Moore nodded.

"There's another way in," Pete said and everyone looked at him. "Through the front door. If they've taken Jackie for upgrading, that's how she'll get in..."

"We can't just go strolling up," Jake protested, walking over to us.

"Or, we could... with these..." Mrs. Moore said, reaching into her bag and taking out a set of ear-pods. The Doctor took one and examined it. "Fake ear-pods. Dead. No signal. But put them on, the Cybermen would mistake you for one of the crowd."

"Then that's my job," Pete decided.

"You'd have to show no emotion. None at all. Any sign of emotion would give you away," the Doctor told him.

"How many of those have you got?" Rose asked Mrs. Moore.

"Just two sets," she replied.

"Okay. If that's the best way of finding Jackie... I'm coming with you," Rose told Pete, getting to her feet and standing next to him.

"Why does she matter to you?" Pete asked.

"We haven't got time. Doctor, Wonder, I'm going with him, and that's that," Rose declared.

"No stopping you, is there?" I asked, though it was more a statement.

"Nope." I nodded reluctantly, knowing there was nothing I could say to convince her otherwise. Rose was stubborn and wouldn't back down once she had her mind set on something.

"Tell you what... we can take the ear-pods at the same time," the Doctor decided, chucking her the ear-pod he had taken. "Give people their minds back. So they don't walk into that place like sheep. Jakey-boy?" The Doctor led Jake further up the hill. "Lumic's transmitting the control signal, and it must be from over there..." He pointed his sonic at the factory and it beeped. "There it is... on the zeppelin, see? Great big transmitter. Good thing Lumic likes showing off. Reckon you could take it out?"

Jake smiled. "Consider it done." The Doctor patted him on the shoulder and came back.

"Mrs Moore... would you care to accompany me and Wonder into the cooling tunnels?"

She shrugged. "How could I refuse an offer of cooling tunnels?"

"We attack on three sides, above, between, below. We get to the control centre, we stop the conversion machines," the Doctor said, taking off his glasses.

"What about me?" Mickey asked. I notice he was standing off to the side.

The Doctor blinked, having forgotten he was there. "Mickey! You can... ahm..." He trailed off, unable to come up with something.

"What, stay out of trouble? Be the tin dog?" Mickey asked bitterly. "No, those days are over. I'm going with Jake."

"I don't need you, idiot," Jake snapped.

"I'm not an idiot! You got that?!" Mickey shouted at him angrily. "I'm offering to help," Mickey said calmly.

"Whatever," Jake grumbled and he walked off.

Mickey started to follow. "Mickey!" I called as I ran up to him. He turned in time to catch me as I threw my arms around him. "Be careful okay?" I told him. He nodded. I patted his arm. "Now go be our technical support."

"Yes, ma'am," he said with a smile.

"Mickey?" The Doctor called. Mickey looked at him. "Good luck."

"Yeah. You too. Rose, I'll see you later," Mickey said.

"Yeah, you better," Rose told him.

"If we survive this, I'll see you back at the TARDIS," the Doctor said.

Mickey nodded. "That's a promise." He turned back around and took off after Jake.

The Doctor turned to Rose and enveloped her in a hug. "Good luck."

"Be careful, Rose," I told her, also hugging her.

"You too," she said. She and Pete went on their way.

I turned to face the Doctor and Mrs. Moore. "Right, I believe we have a date with the cooling tunnels. Care to show us the way Mrs. Moore?"

She smiled. "My pleasure." She led us to a trap door and climbed down the ladder. The Doctor followed and I went last. The Doctor grabbed my waist and helped me down the last few rungs.

"I'm perfectly capable of climbing down a ladder, sweetie," I told him, smiling in amusement.

"I know," was all he said as he kissed my cheek.

"It's freezing in here," Mrs. Moore complained, rubbing her arms slightly in an attempt to keep warm.

"Well, they are cooling tunnels," I pointed out. "They wouldn't be called cooling tunnels of they were hot."

"Any sign of a light switch?" The Doctor inquired.

"Can't see a thing," Mrs. Moore laughed. "But I've got these..." She rummaged through her bag and handed the Doctor a head light. "A device for every occasion..."

The Doctor grinned. "Ooh!"

"Put it on." She pulled out one for me and then another for herself.

I slipped my on and turned it on. "Light bulb," I giggled. The Doctor chuckled. (Can anyone tell me what movie that's from?)

"Haven't got a hotdog in there, have you?" The Doctor asked, slipping on his head light. "I'm starving."

Mrs. Moore laughed. "Of all the things to wish for! That's mechanically recovered meat!"

The Doctor grinned. "I know."

"It's the Cyberman of food," I said with an amused smile.

"But it's tasty," the Doctor added.

"Mmm. I could do with a nice chili dog," I commented, licking my lips.

"A proper torch as well," Mrs. Moore said, handing the Doctor a flashlight.

"Let's see where we are," the Doctor said and switched on the flashlight. The beam fell on a Cyberman and I jumped back with a squeak of alarm. The Doctor quickly pushed me behind him protectively. He swung the beam and revealed hundreds of Cybermen lining the cooling tunnels. I waited for them to move, but nothing happened. I stepped out from behind the Doctor and approached one of the Cybermen cautiously. "Careful," the Doctor warned.

I tapped one on the nose, or where the nose would be if it had one, experimentally. I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed slightly when I realized they were lifeless. "Dormant," I declared.

The Doctor stood next to me and examined the Cyberman. "Already converted, just paralyzed. Come on!" He grabbed my hand and the three of us walked forward, being careful not to touch the Cybermen. "Let's go slowly. Keep an eye out for trip systems," he added, eyeing the Cybermen as we passed. My hands started shaking and the Doctor gave the one he was holding a comforting squeeze. I smiled at him appreciatively.

"So, how exactly did you meet Ricky and Jake?" I asked Mrs. Moore, hoping to distract myself.

Mrs. Moore shrugged. "Oh, I used to be ordinary. Worked at Cybus Industries. '95. 'Till one day, I find something I'm not supposed to. A file on the mainframe. All I did was read it. Then suddenly, I've got men with guns knocking in the middle of the night. Life on the run. Then I found the Preachers. They needed a techy, so I... I just sat down and taught myself everything."

"What about Mr Moore?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, he's not called Moore. I got that from a book, Mrs Moore. It's safer not to use real names," Mrs. Moore said. "But he thinks I'm dead. It was the only way to keep him safe. Him and the kids. What about you two? Are you two together?" She asked.

"Yeah, we're together," I confirmed with a blush.

"Best friends since childhood. Her brother introduced us. Helped me get through some tough times," the Doctor explained. "Go on then, what's your real name?"

"Angela Price," Mrs. Moore said. The Doctor and I smiled at her. "Don't tell a soul."

"Not a word," I assured her.

"Doctor? Did that one just move?" Mrs. Moore asked fearfully, gesturing to one of the Cybermen.

"It's just the torchlight," the Doctor dismissed. "Keep going, come on." Just then, a Cyberman a couple feet down the line turned its head.

"I don't think that's the torchlight," I said.

"They're waking up... Run!" The Doctor shouted. We ran down the cooling tunnel, Cybermen waking up as we passed. We reached the ladder at the end of the tunnel.

"Get up! Quick! They're coming!" Mrs. Moore yelled. The Doctor scrambled up, Mrs. Moore and I close behind. The Doctor used his sonic on the door to the tunnel. "Open it! Open it!" He succeeded in getting the door open and tossed it aside. "Get up!" The Doctor climbed out of the tunnel and turned around to help me out. "Quick! Quick!"

"Come on! Come on!" The Doctor shouted to Mrs. Moore's. We helped pull her out and together we managed to close the door just before the Cybermen could follow. The Doctor sealed it with his sonic,screwdriver. "Oh, good team, Mrs Moore!" He grinned. Mrs. Moore nodded and I sighed, trying to slow my rapidly beating hearts.

We continued on our way, waking down a dark, metal corridor. Suddenly, a Cyberman stepped out in front of us, causing us all to jump. " **You are not upgraded** ," it noted.

"Yeah? Well, upgrade this," Mrs. Moore challenged. She threw a small device at the Cyberman. It stuck to its chest and the Cyberman jerked about as it was electrocuted. The Cyberman slumped to the floor with a bang.

"What the heck was that thing?!" The Doctor asked, clearly delighted.

"Electromagnetic bomb," Mrs. Moore explained as we approached the Cyberman. "Takes out computers, I figured it might stop the cyber-suit."

"You figured right," I said. "Now, let's have a look..." I held out my hand to the Doctor and he passed me his sonic screwdriver. I held it to the logo on the chest. "Now... know your enemy... and the logo on the front... Lumic's turned them into a brand," I muttered. I took the logo off, revealing the inside of the Cyberman.

The Doctor took the logo from me and showed it to Mrs. Moore. "Heart of steel... but look..." He stuck his fingers inside the Cyberman and pulled out something white and slimy.

"Is that flesh?" Mrs. Moore asked, a disgusted looked on her face.

"Hmmm... central nervous system," the Doctor specified. "Artificially grown then threaded throughout the suit so it responds like a living thing. Well, it is a living thing. Oh, but look..." He carefully fingered an electronic chip. "Emotional inhibitor. Stops them feeling anything."

"But... why?" Mrs. Moore asked, horrified.

"It's still got a human brain..." The Doctor said.

"Imagine its reaction if it could see itself," I said sadly. "Realize itself inside this thing. They'd go insane..."

"So they cut out the one thing that makes them human," Mrs. Moore said.

"Because they have to," the Doctor said sadly.

" **Why am I cold?** " The Cyberman asked.

"Oh, my gosh. It's alive. It can feel," Mrs. Moore gasped.

"We broke the inhibitor," I told her. I leaned over the Cyberman slightly and place my hand on the side of its head. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," I told it sincerely.

" **Why so cold?** "

"Can you remember your name?" The Doctor asked softly.

" **Sally. Sally Phelan**."

"You're a woman..." Mrs. Moore realized.

" **Where's Gareth?** "

"Who's Gareth?" Mrs. Moore asked.

" **He can't see me. It's unlucky the night before.** "

"You're getting married," Mrs. Moore said quietly. I brought a hand to my mouth, tears filling my eyes. How could Lumic do such a thing?!

" **I'm cold. I'm so cold.** "

"Sorry. You sleep now, Sally," the Doctor told the Cyberman quietly. He gently took the sonic from me and pointed it just inside the suit. "Just go to sleep." The blue light inside the suit went out. "Sally Phelan didn't die for nothing." He paused as something dawned on him. "'Cos that's the key. The emotional inhibitor, if we could find the code behind it, the cancellation code, then feed it throughout the system into every Cyberman's head..." Mrs. Moore nodded. "They'd realize what they are..."

"And what happens then?" Mrs. Moore asked.

"I think it would kill them," I said sadly. "Could we do that?"

"We've got to. Before they kill everyone else," Mrs. Moore said firmly. The Doctor and I glanced at each other, unsure if we would be able to go through with it. "There's no choice, Doctor, Wonder. It's got to be done." I sighed and the Doctor looked back at Sally's body. I glanced back up at Mrs. Moore. My eyes widened as I noticed a Cyberman standing behind Mrs. Moore. She made to stand up and I quickly reached out and grabbed her hand.

"No, don't!" I warned her. I tugged her over to the Doctor and I, away from the Cyberman. The Doctor and I got to our feet, glaring at the Cyberman. "You are not killing any more people today," I told it angrily.

" **Sensors detect binary vascular systems. You are an unknown upgrade. You will be taken for analysis** ," the Cyberman declared. Two other Cybermen appeared and the Doctor, Mrs. Moore, and I allowed ourselves to be lead off.

"It was going to kill me," Mrs. Moore said in quiet horror.

"But it didn't. You're alive," I told her.

"Thank you," she said.

I smiled. "Anytime."

We were marched into the main control room of the factory. Rose and Pete stood by the computers, flanked by two more Cybermen. "I've been captured, but don't worry, Rose and Pete are still out there, they can rescue me... oh well, never mind," the Doctor grumbled sarcastically.

"You okay?" I asked Rose softly.

Rose nodded solemnly. "Yeah. But they got Jackie."

"We were too late. Lumic killed her," Pete said angrily.

"Then where is he? The famous Mr Lumic?" The Doctor said, raising his voice. "Don't we get the chance to meet our Lord and Master?"

" **He has been upgraded** ," a Cyberman declared.

"So he's just like you?" The Doctor said bitterly.

" **He is superior. The Lumic Unit has been designated Cyber Controller.** " We all turned as the sliding doors opened. Mr. Lumic, now a Cyberman, rolled though the doors. He sat on a elaborate chair, covered in wires and tubes.

" **This is The Age of Steel and I am its Creator** ," Lumic declared. Screams filled the air as the unconverted people were released from the control of the ear-pods. The Cybermen glanced around. I smirked. Mickey and Jake must have done their job.

"That's my friends at work. Good boys! Mr Lumic, I think that's a vote for free will," the Doctor grinned and winked.

" **I have factories waiting on seven continents. If the ear-pods have failed, then Cybermen will take humanity by force. London has fallen. So shall the world,** " Lumic said. " **I will bring peace to the world. Everlasting peace, and unity, and uniformity.** "

"And imagination? What about that? The one thing that lead you here. Imagination, you're killing it, dead!" The Doctor snapped.

" **What is your name?** "

"I'm the Doctor."

" **A redundant title** ," Lumic scoffed. " **Doctors need not exist. Cybermen never sicken.** "

"Yeah, but that's it!" The Doctor said, stepping forward in his enthusiasm. "That's exactly the point! Oh, Lumic, you're a clever man..." He said despairingly. "I'd call you a genius, except I'm in the room." I smirked. "But everything you've invented, you did to fight your sickness. And that's brilliant. That is so human. But once you get rid of sickness and mortality, then what's there to strive for? Eh? The Cybermen won't advance. You'll just stop! You'll stay like this forever. A metal Earth with metal men and metal thoughts. Lacking the one thing that makes this planet so alive. People. Ordinary, stupid, brilliant people." I watched as the Doctor lectured Lumic, my hearts swelling with love and pride.

" **You are proud of your emotions?** "

"Oh, yes."

" **Then tell me, Doctor, have you known grief, and rage, and pain?** "

"Yes. Yes, I have." I watched the Doctor sadly. No one knew those emotions better than he did.

" **And they hurt?** " Lumic asked.

"Oh yes," the Doctor confirmed.

" **I could set you free. Would you not want that? A life without pain?** " Lumic tempted.

"You might as well kill me," the Doctor declared.

" **Then I take that option** ," Lumic decided.

"It's not yours to take," the Doctor growled. "You're a cyber controller. You don't control me or anything with blood in its heart."

" **You have no means of stopping me. I have an army. A species of my own.** "

The Doctor put his face in his hands, exasperated. "You just don't get it, do you? An army's nothing. 'Cos those ordinary people, they're the key." He glanced at the security camera in the corner. "The most ordinary person could change the world. Some ordinary man or woman... some idiot..." I smiled at his attempt to get Mickey's attention. "All it takes is for him to find, say, the right numbers... say, the right codes... say, for for example, the code behind the emotional inhibitor. The code right in front of him. 'Cos even an idiot knows how to use computers these days. Knows how to get past firewalls and passwords... knows how to find something encrypted in the Lumic Family Database, under... what was it, Pete? Binary what?"

"Binary 9," Pete answered loudly.

"An idiot could find that code," the Doctor continued. "The cancellation code. And he'd keep on typing. Keep on fighting." He looked at the camera meaningfully. "Anything to save his friends..."

" **Your words are irrelevant** ," Lumic said.

"Talk too much, that's my problem. Wonder thinks it cute though," the Doctor added, glancing at me with a grin. I grinned back. "Lucky I got you that cheap tariff, Rose. For all our long chats. On your phone." He glanced at the camera again, miming calling someone.

" **You will be deleted,** " Lumic declared.

"Yes, delete, control, hash, all those lovely buttons," the Doctor said. "Then of course, my particular favorite, send. And let's not forget how you seduced all those ordinary people in the first place." Rose's phone beeped, alerting her that she received a message. "By making every bit of technology compatible with everything else..." He stood next to one of the computers.

"It's for you," Rose told him. She tossed the Doctor her phone and he caught it.

"Like this." The Doctor shoved Rose's phone into a port. The Cybermen clutched their heads, screaming as their emotion inhibitors were turned off and they realized what they were. The code from Rose's phone flashed on all the computer screens. One of the Cybermen caught sight of its reflection in a piece of metal. It whimpered and touched its face. "I'm sorry," the Doctor apologized.

" **What have you done?** " Lumic asked furiously.

"I gave them back their souls. They can see what you've done, Lumic! And it's killing them," the Doctor told him. The Doctor, Rose, Pete, Mrs. Moore, and I ran out of the room.

Explosions erupted all over the factory as we ran for our lives, searching for a way out. I tried one door, only to find it blocked by wailing Cybermen. I slammed the door shut again. "There's no way out!" The Doctor shouted.

Rose's phone rang and she answered it. "It's Mickey. He says 'head for the roof'," she said. The five of us bolted up a flight of stairs, doing our best to avoid the explosions and flames. I yelped as an explosion erupted by me. The Doctor grabbed my hand and yanked me away.

We reached the ladder to the roof and Rose went first, followed by Mrs. Moore, me, the Doctor, and Pete. We stopped when we saw the Zeppelin. "Mickey, where'd you learn to fly that thing?!" Rose asked. The Zeppelin came closer and we bolted forward, flinching at the random explosions erupting around us. A ladder dropped down from the Zeppelin and the five of us ran to catch it.

"You've got to be kidding. Wonder, Rose, get up!" The Doctor ordered. We happily obliged. The Doctor, Mrs. Moore, and Pete quickly followed. The Zeppelin rose up and away from the exploding factory.

"We did it! We did it!" Rose exclaimed happily. Suddenly, the ladder jerked downwards, causing Rose to scream and my foot to slip. I looked down as I regained my footing and spotted Lumic hanging onto the bottom rung. Lumic started climbing after us.

The Doctor wrapped one arm around the ladder and reached into his jacket pocket. "Pete! Take this!" The Doctor shouted, dropping his sonic into Pete's outstretched hand. "Use it! Hold the button down! Press it against the rope, just do it!"

"Jackie Tyler, this is for her!" Pete yelled. He pressed the button and held the sonic screwdriver against the rope ladder. We waited with baited breath and for a moment nothing seemed to happen as Lumic continued to climb closer. The rope finally snapped and Lumic fell, screaming as he was enveloped in another explosion. Pete laughed in relief and we climbed the rest of the way into the Zeppelin.

Once inside, I sat down on the floor, cradling my left arm. The Doctor sat down next to me. "You all right?" He asked, eyeing me in concern.

"I'm fine," I told him.

"May I?" He asked, holding his hand out for my arm. I held out my arm for him to look at. It had gotten burnt from the explosion. The skin on my forearm was red and the hair had been burnt off. I hissed in pain as he touched the blistering skin. "Sorry," he apologized.

"How does it look?" I asked.

"Bad. You might need to regenerate," he joked. I chuckled. "We'll fix you up when we get back to the TARDIS." I nodded and leaned against him. He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer and pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

The Doctor and I walked into the dark TARDIS after we landed. He put the power cell in place and the TARDIS sprung to life. The lights came back on and she began to hum again. A huge grin spread across the Doctor's and I's faces. ' _I missed you, sexy,_ ' I told her.

' _And I you,_ ' she hummed in reply. "Rose? Mickey?" I called as the Doctor and I stepped back out of the TARDIS. We looked around and spotted Rose standing next to Pete. We jogged over to them.

"I've only got five minutes of power... we've gotta go," the Doctor told Rose.

"The Doctor could show ya..." Rose told Pete.

"Thank you. For everything," Pete said.

Tears weld up in Rose's eyes as she stared intently at Pete. "Dad," she tried, her voice cracking.

"Don't. Just... just don't," Pete muttered. He walked away. The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably and I looked at Rose sadly.

Mickey, Jake, and Mrs. Moore came over. Mickey held the Doctor's pinstriped suit in his hands. "Here it is! I found it. Not a crease."

"My suit!" The Doctor exclaimed, overjoyed to see his beloved suit again. "Good man! Now then, Jake, Mrs. Moore, we've gotta run."

"Oh, and Mrs. Moore," I called. Said woman looked at me, eyebrows raised questioningly. "Go find that husband and kids of yours. I think it's time they knew the truth." She nodded.

"Off we go, then!" The Doctor declared. He stared towards the TARDIS, but I noticed something seemed off about Mickey.

"Mickey?" I asked, wondering what what wrong.

"Uh... thing is, I'm staying," he said.

"You're doing what?" The Doctor asked in surprise. While I was sad that Mickey decided to stay, I wasn't surprised. After Ricky died, something told me that he would stay. Although I did my best to include him, Mickey always seemed to get left out and forgotten during our travels. Here, he at least felt needed.

Rose stared at Mickey, already upset from her conversation with Pete. "You can't," she protested.

"It sort of balances out, 'cos this world lost its Ricky," Mickey said, his voice trembling. "But there's me. And there's work to be done with all those Cybermen still out there."

"But you can't stay," Rose insisted.

"Rose, my gran's here," Mickey told her. "She's still alive. My old gran, remember her?"

Rose did her best not to cry. "Yeah."

"She needs me."

"What about me? What if I need you?" Rose asked tearfully.

"Yeah, but Rose... you don't. It's just you three, isn't it?" Mickey glanced at the Doctor and I. "We had something a long time ago, but... not anymore."

"Well... we'll come back. We can travel anywhere, come and see you, yeah?" She said hopefully.

"We can't, Rose," I told her softly.

"I told you, travel between parallel worlds is impossible," the Doctor reminded her. "We only got here by accident. We... we fell through a crack in time. When we leave... I've got to close it. We can't ever return." The Doctor looked at Mickey, silently asking if this is what he wanted.

Mickey glanced at the defeated Rose and then held his hand out to the Doctor. "Doctor." The Doctor reached out and shook his hand.

"Take Rose's phone. It's got the code. Get it out there. Stop those factories," the Doctor said and Mickey nodded. "And good luck. Mickey the Idiot." He slapped Mickey's cheek with a small smile.

"Watch it!" Mickey snapped playfully. The Doctor sauntered back to the TARDIS and slipped inside.

"You going to be alright?" I asked Mickey. He nodded. I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. A few tears slide down my cheeks. While I wasn't surprised that Mickey decided to stay, I still found it hard to say goodbye. "Be careful and don't think, for one second, that you're the tin dog," I told him firmly.

Mickey nodded with a tearful smile. "Yes ma'am." I smiled and walked into the TARDIS.

The Doctor had changed back into his pinstriped suit and was messing with the TARDIS controls. He looked up as I entered. "You alright?" He asked me. I nodded, sniffing and wiping a few tears away. A minute later, Rose entered the TARDIS, casting a longing glance back at Mickey before closing the door. The Doctor pulled the lever and the familiar wheezing of the TARDIS engines filled the console room. The TARDIS landed in the Tyler living room.

Rose opened the door and stared at her mom. "You're alive..." Rose gasped. She rushed out and flung her arms around Jackie. "Oh, mum. You're alive." The Doctor and I stepped out of the TARDIS and leaned against the other door.

"Well, I was the last time I looked..." Jackie said, a bit confused, but pleased to see Rose. "What is it? What's happened, sweetheart?" Rose didn't reply, clutching her mother tightly. "What's wrong? Where did you go?" Jackie asked the Doctor and I.

"Far away. That was... far away," the Doctor replied.

"Where's Mickey?"

"He's gone home," the Doctor said quietly. Jackie rubbed Rose's back comfortingly. I leaned against the Doctor and wrapped my arms around his waist. He in turn, wrapped an arm around me. I shifted and buried my face in his chest, trying my best not to cry. He wrapped his other arm around and placed a tended kiss to the top of my head.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Please review. I added some art pieces I did to my Pinterest account, the link to which is on my profile. I only did the coloring. For a couple of them I took pictures with Rose and the Doctor, traced them, and colored them. Till next time.**


	22. Idiot's Lantern

**Hello readers! I'm so, so sorry for the delay. I was so busy studying for exams and stuff that time sort of got away from me. Just a heads up though, the next chapter is going to be an original composition so I don't know when I will finish it. I'm working on it right now. Anyway, enjoy this chapter. And once again, I own nothing but my oc.**

* * *

"No." Rose groaned as she put yet _another_ dress back on the rack. She and I were currently searching the wardrobe for some 1950s regalia. She had picked out her outfit, which consisted of a pink dress with layers of netting under the skirt, a blue-gray, three quarter sleeved leather jacket, black net stockings, and a pair of pink high heels, and was helping me pick out mine. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to strike my fancy.

"I give up," Rose sighed. "We've been through the entire wardrobe and you've said no to every dress I've picked out."

"We haven't been through the _entire_ wardrobe," I told her.

"Near enough," she retorted.

"Fine, go put on your outfit and I'll find something," I decided. She grabbed her outfit and walked into a changing room. I walked along one of the many racks of clothes, hoping that something would jump out at me. ' _Help me out, sexy._ ' Suddenly, the clothes on the rack parted to reveal one particular dress. I pulled it off the rack and grinned. ' _Thanks, sexy!_ '

' _Any time,_ ' the TARDIS hummed. I darted off to the changing room to try the dress on.

My heels clicked against the floor as I made my way to the console room dressed in my new outfit. I heard Rose and the Doctor chatting away as I entered. They both looked up and the Doctor stopped mid sentence as he stared at me. I was wearing a navy blue, halter top dress. It fell to my knees and like Rose's, it had netting under the skirt portion for added volume. A thick white belt was buckled around my waist. I wore a pair of white high heels with bows at the toes. My hair was pulled up into a bun with some fringe left out and a white bandana tied around my head. I had applied a bit of makeup, just enough to make my eyes pop. A white lily tucked into one side of the halter strap finished the look. The Doctor stared at me, his mouth hanging open slightly.

"You're going to catch flies, Doctor," I chuckled. He closed his mouth as I walked over to him. "What do you think?"

"I think you look beautiful," he replied, leaning down to capture my lips.

"As cute as I think you two are, we have a date with Elvis. There will be plenty of time for that later," Rose said, interrupting the Doctor and I.

"Right you are," the Doctor said. He jogged around the console as he set the coordinates for our next adventure. A short, bumpy ride later and the TARDIS landed. Rose opened the doors and exited, me following close behind.

Rose looked around were we hand landed. "I thought we'd be going for the Vegas era, you know, the white flares and the..." she growled seductively, "chest hair."

The Doctor poked his head out the TARDIS door. While he was still wearing his usual brown, pin-stripped suit, he had gelled his hair back teddy-boy style. "You are kidding, aren't you? You wanna see Elvis, you go in the late 50's! The time before burgers," he told Rose. He disappeared back inside. "When they called him 'the Pelvis' and he still had a waist." Rose and I laughed. "What's more, you see him in style!" Rose and I looked around at the sound of an engine. The Doctor came out of the TARDIS riding a blue 50s moped. Rose laughed and I grinned in amusement. The Doctor had on a pair of aviator sunglasses and a white helmet. "You goin' my way, dolls?" He asked in his best Elvis impersonation.

"Is there any other way to go, daddy-o?" I asked, putting on my own pair of white sunglasses.

"Straight from the fridge, man!" Rose added as we strolled towards the moped.

"Hey, you speak the lingo!" The Doctor said delightedly. He tossed Rose and I each a helmet, Rose a pink one and me a white one like his.

I climbed on behind the Doctor and bunched up my dress a bit to make room for Rose. "Yeah well... me, mum, Cliff Richard movies every Bank Holiday Monday," Rose said as she climbed on behind me. It was a tight fit, but we somehow managed.

"Ah, Cliff! I knew your mother'd be a Cliff fan," the Doctor said happily. He gunned the engine and we took off down the street. I had to wrap my arms around the Doctor's middle to keep from falling off. Rose wrapped her arms around my middle so she wouldn't slip off the back.

"Where we off to?" I asked him, raising my voice to be heard over the engine.

"Ed Sullivan TV Studios, Elvis did 'Hound Dog' on one of the shows, there were loads of complaints," the Doctor answered. "Bit of luck, we'll just catch it."

"And that'll be TV studios in, what, New York?" Rose inquired.

"That's the one!" He confirmed cheerfully. The Doctor stopped at the end of the street as a red double decker bus drove by. I glanced around and noticed Union flags hanging on all the houses and stretching across the street from rooftop to rooftop.

"Digging that New York vibe!" Rose giggled.

"Well... this could still be New York," the Doctor said hesitantly, glancing around.

"Only if New York has been taken over by Britain," I told him.

"What are all the flags for?" Rose asked. The Doctor shrugged and pulled the moped off to the side. We all got off and started walking around. I spotted a man directing two young men as they took a television out of the back of a van. I nudged the Doctor and jerked my head in their direction. The Doctor, Rose, and I approached the man by the van as the two boys carried the tv off.

"There you go, sir, all wired up for the great occasion," the man said to the person I assumed just bought the tv.

"The great occasion? What d'you mean?" The Doctor asked him, tugging on his ear.

"Where've you been living, out in the Colonies?" The man chuckled. "Coronation, of course."

"What Coronation's that, then?"

"What d'you mean?" The man asked, bemused. " _The_ Coronation." The Doctor and I turned to Rose for help.

"The Queen's," she said, like it should have been obvious to us. "Queen Elizabeth!"

"Oh!" The Doctor said, it finally clicking. I chuckled in amusement. "Oh, is this 1953?!"

"Last time I looked. Time for a lovely bit of pomp and circumstance, what we do best," the man replied.

"Look at all the TV aerials..." Rose said, looking at all the chimneys, "looks like everyone's got one. That's weird, my nan said tellies were so rare they all had to pile into one house."

"Not round here, love. Magpie's Marvellous Tellies," the man, Magpie, said, pointing to the name on the side of his van, "only five quid a box."

"Sounds like a bargain price," I commented.

"Oh but this is a brilliant year!" The Doctor exclaimed happily. "Classic! Technicolour, Everest climbed, everything off the ration." He switched to a BBC English accent. "The Nation throwing off the shadows of war and looking forward to a happier, brighter future!" I shook my head and Rose laughed.

"Someone help me, please! Ted!" A woman suddenly shouted. All three of us snapped our heads around and spotted a man with a blanket over his head being shoved into a black police car by two suited men. "Leave him alone, it's my husband!" The woman pleaded with the two men. The Doctor, Rose, and I ran over to try and help.

"What's going on?" The Doctor asked the suited men.

A young boy ran out of a nearby house. "Oi, what are you doing?!" He shouted at the men.

"Police business, now get out of the way, sir!" One of the men ordered the Doctor.

"Who did they take, do you know him?" I asked the young boy.

"Must be Mr Gallagher..." The boy said. The car drove off, leaving behind a sobbing Mrs. Gallagher. A woman, who I assume must be the boy's mother came out of the house to see what was going on. "It's happening all over the place. They're turning into monsters..." The boy told me. I turned my gaze back to where the car had disappeared.

A man stormed out of his house, a furious look on his face. "Tommy! Not one word!" He growled to the boy. I glared at the man, but he didn't seem to notice. "Get inside now!"

"Sorry, I'd better do as he says..." Tommy apologized before quickly following his father into the house.

The Doctor slipped his sunglasses back on and ran over to the moped, kicking it to life. "All aboard!" Rose and I quickly hopped on behind him, holding on tightly as he gunned the engine. We followed the direction the black car had gone, hoping to catch it. We rounded a corner onto a dead end street. The Doctor stopped the moped just short of a market stall at the end of the street. Two men were sweeping the street.

"Lost 'em! How'd they get away from us?" The Doctor said, bemused.

"Surprised they didn't turn back and arrest you for reckless driving, have you actually passed your test?!" Rose asked.

"Rose, he didn't pass his TARDIS driving test," I told her.

"Well, that explains a few things," she mumbled and I giggled.

"Men in black? Vanishing police cars?" The Doctor continued, not listening to Rose and I. "This is Churchill's England, not Stalin's Russia!"

"Tommy said something about monsters," I recalled. The Doctor looked over his shoulder at me. "I think we need to meet the neighbor's."

"That's what I like about you," the Doctor said sweetly, kicking the moped back to life again. "The domestic approach."

I tightened my grip around his waist. "And here I thought you didn't like domestic," I whispered in his ear, causing him to shiver slightly. He gunned the engine and Rose let out a squeak of surprise as we drove off again.

The Doctor parked the moped outside the house I said Tommy had come out of. The three of us approached the door and the Doctor rang the doorbell. The door opened to reveal Tommy's father. "Hiiiiii!" The Doctor, Rose, and I chorused together, each of us wearing an identical cheesy grin.

"Who are you, then?" The man asked gruffly, eyeing us suspiciously.

The Doctor analyzed the man before us. "Let's see then, judging by the look of you, family man, nice house, decent wage, fought in the war, therefore, I represent Queen and country!" He held up his psychic paper with a flourish. "Just doing a little check of Her Majesty's forthcoming subjects for the great day. Don't mind if I come in? Nah, didn't think you did, thank you!" He barged past the man before he could protest and Rose and I followed. "Not bad, very nice! Very well kept!" The Doctor commented, glancing around the living room. "I'd like to congratulate you, Mrs... ?" He looked at the woman standing by the wall expectantly.

"Connolly," she replied timidly. I gave her a reassuring smile.

"Now then Rita, I can handle this. This gentleman's a proper representative!" Mr. Connolly said. The Doctor gave the terrified Mrs. Connolly a wink. Rose perched herself on the arm of a chair while I placed myself by the couch. "Don't mind the wife, she rattles on a bit."

"Well, maybe she should rattle on a bit more," I suggested. Mr. Connolly and Tommy, who stood just behind his father, looked shocked at my boldness. The Doctor smiled at me proudly.

"I'm not convinced you're doing your patriotic duty," the Doctor commented, turning to Mr. Connolly. He glanced at the flags sitting on the edge of the couch. "Nice flags. Why are they not flying?"

"There we are Rita, I told you, get them up, Queen and country!" Mr. Connolly ordered. The Doctor narrowed his eyes at him.

"I'm sorry..." Mrs. Connolly apologized sheepishly, making to grab for the flags.

"Get it done! Do it now."

"Hold on a minute..." The Doctor interrupted.

"Like the gentleman says," Mr. Connolly continued.

The Doctor held up a hand to Mrs. Connolly, never moving his gaze from Mr. Connolly. "Hold on a minute. You've got hands, Mr Connolly. Two big hands! Why is that your wife's job?"

"It's housework, innit?" Mr. Connolly said, a bit confused.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "And that's a woman's job?"

"Course it is!" Mr. Connolly replied, looking surprised that anyone would think it wasn't.

"Mr Connolly, what gender is the Queen?" The Doctor asked.

"She's a female," Mr. Connolly answered. I smirked slightly as I could tell he was getting uncomfortable.

"And are you suggesting the Queen does the housework?" The Doctor asked, raising his eyebrows challengingly. A small smile grew on Tommy's face and I had to suppress a giggle.

Mr. Connolly hesitated as he realized he had been trapped. "No! Not at all!" He replied.

The Doctor handed him a string of flags with a stern look. "Then get busy."

Mr. Connolly nodded. "Right, yes sir." He set about hanging the flags. "You'll be proud of us, sir! We'll have Union Jacks left, right and centre!" He said in feigned enthusiasm.

Rose got up from her spot. "'Scuse me, Mr Connolly, hang on a minute! Union Jacks?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, that's right, isn't it?" Mr. Connolly asked, pausing in his work to look at Rose uncertainly.

"That's the Union Flag. It's the Union Jack only when it's flown at sea," Rose corrected. Tommy grinned wider and the Doctor and I glanced at each other with barely hidden amusement.

"Oh... oh, I'm sorry, I do apologize!" Mr. Connolly said quickly.

"Well, don't get it wrong again, there's a good man. Now get to it!" Rose said firmly. Mr. Connolly hastily went back to work and Rose turned back to us with a coy smile. The Doctor looked slightly bewildered while I gave Rose and grin and a thumbs up. Rose and the Doctor plopped themselves down on the couch and I sat on the arm. The Doctor wound an arm around my waist.

"Right then! Nice and comfy, at Her Majesty's leisure!" The Doctor grinned. He leaned slightly towards Rose. "Union Flag?"

"Mum went out with a sailor," Rose replied.

"Oohohohoo! I bet she did!" He laughed quietly. "Anyway, I'm the Doctor, this is my girl Wonder and this is Rose, and you are?" He asked Tommy.

"Tommy," the young boy replied, seemingly surprised to be noticed. The Doctor and Rose shifted aside to make room for Tommy.

"Well, sit yourself down, Tommy," the Doctor said, patting the spot between him and Rose. He motioned for Mrs. Connolly to take the chair beside the couch. We all switched our gazes to the small box tv. "Have a look at this. I love telly, don't you?" The Doctor grinned.

"Yeah, I think it's brilliant!" Tommy replied, smiling.

"Good man!"

We continued to watch the tv program. "Keep working Mr. C!" I called over my shoulder.

"Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?" The Doctor said, dropping his voice so that Mr. Connolly couldn't hear him.

"Did you say you were a doctor?" Mrs. Connolly asked tentatively.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes I am."

"Can you help her? Oh please, can you help her, Doctor?" Mrs. Connolly asked desperately.

Unfortunately, Mr. Connolly overheard her. "Now then Rita, I don't think the gentleman needs to know-"

"No, the gentleman does!" The Doctor interrupted. Mrs. Connolly began to cry and I got up and sat next to her, wrapping my arms around her.

"Tell us what's wrong and we can help," I told her gently. Mrs. Connolly didn't reply as her sobs grew louder and she shook her head helplessly. "It's alright," I told her softly, rubbing her arms comfortingly.

"Hold on a minute!" Mr. Connolly said. "Queen and country's one thing, but this is my house!" The Doctor propped his head on his fist. Although he appeared to be calm, I could tell he was restraining himself. I didn't blame him as I glared at Mr. Connolly, still trying to sooth Mrs. Connolly. Mr. Connolly glanced at the flags in his hands. "What the... what the heck am I doing?" He threw them down and glared at the Doctor. "Now you listen here, Doctor! You may have fancy qualifications, but what goes on under my roof is my business!"

The Doctor glared back at him scathingly. "All the people are being bundled into-"

"I am talking!" Mr. Connolly shouted at him.

The Doctor shot up from his chair and approached Mr. Connolly, looming over him. "And I'm not listening!" He shouted back, spitting slightly. "Now you, Mr Connolly, are staring into a deep, dark PIT of trouble if you don't let me help." Mr. Connolly stared wide eyed at the Doctor. I was really glad I wasn't on the receiving end of the Doctor's anger. "So I'm ordering you, sir, to tell me what's going on!" Mr. Connolly tried to find something to say, but stopped when there was a loud banging coming from upstairs. I glanced up, wondering what could possibly be making that noise.

"She won't stop," Mr. Connolly said, fear evident in his voice. The banging continued. "She never stops."

"We started hearing stories, all round the place. People who've... changed," Tommy said shakily. "Families keeping it secret 'cause they were scared. The police started finding out. We don't know how, no one does." I noticed Mr. Connolly shifting uncomfortable behind the Doctor. "They just... turn up, come to the door and take 'em. Any time of the day or night."

"Show me," the Doctor ordered. Tommy nodded and led the Doctor out of the living room.

"Come on," I told Mrs. Connolly gently, helping her stand. I gave her a reassuring smile before following after the Doctor, sending Mr. Connolly a glare as I passed.

Tommy led us up the stairs and to a door at the end of the hall. He slowly opened the door after unlocking it. "Gran?" He called nervously. "It's Tommy." He opened the door wider so the rest of us could see into the dark room. "'S all right Gran, I've brought help." All we could see was a silhouette of an elderly woman standing by the window. The figure slowly turned around to face us. Tommy turned on the light and I gasped. His grandmother had no face. Her nose, eyes, mouth, everything was gone, leaving behind a smooth surface. The Doctor and I approached Tommy's gran to examine her closer. Rose stood close behind us while Tommy and his mother stood behind her. Mr. Connolly didn't even enter the room.

"Her face is completely gone," the Doctor said with an slight air of fascination. He scanned the area where the woman's face should have been with his sonic screwdriver.

"Scarcely an electrical impulse left. Almost complete neural shutdown, she's ticking over, like her brain has been... wiped clean."

"What're we gonna do, Doctor? We can't even feed her!" Tommy said desperately. I glanced back at him sympathetically. Suddenly, there was a crash downstairs. I quickly peaked out the window to see the same black car we had chased earlier.

"We've got company..." I told the Doctor.

"It's them, they've come for her!" Mrs. Connolly exclaimed.

"What was she doing before this happened? Where was she?" The Doctor asked Tommy and Mrs. Connolly hurriedly. Mrs. Connolly hesitated. "Tell me, quickly, think!"

"I can't think!" Tommy cried. "She doesn't leave the house! She was just-" he was interrupted by a large man and a few police officers entering the room.

"Hold on a minute!" The Doctor said, attempting to buy some time. "There are three important, brilliant, and complicated reasons why you should listen to me. One-" The large man ignored him and punched the Doctor in the face. He collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

Doctor!" Rose and I screamed in horror. Rose darted over to the Doctor. I, however, placed myself in between Tommy's gran and the officers.

"Leave her alone!" I growled at them as they approached. The large man merely grabbed my arm and tossed me aside. Luckily I landed on the bed sitting by the wall. The men threw a blanket over Tommy's gran and rushed her out of the room. I quickly scrambled to my feet and darted after them, running past Rose as she tried to wake the unconscious Doctor. I ran down the stairs, nearly tripping because of my heels. I shoved Mr. Connolly out of the way of the front door and bolted towards the police car. It drove off just as I reached the curb. I skidded to a halt and groaned in frustration as I watched the car drive down the road. I spotted the moped parked by the curb and ran over to it.

"Don't fight it, back inside!" Mr. Connolly snapped at his wife as the Doctor pushed past him. The Doctor spotted me by the moped and ran over. I grabbed our helmets and tossed him his.

"Rose, come on!" The Doctor shouted as he slipped on his helmet.

"Get back inside!" Mr. Connolly ordered. Tommy and Mrs. Connolly stood just behind him, gazing at where the car had disappeared.

"But Dad, they took her!" Tommy protested.

"Go back inside, don't fight it..." Mr. Connolly growled.

"Rose, we're gonna lose them again!" The Doctor yelled, fastening his helmet.

"We can't wait for her," I said. The Doctor nodded and kicked the moped into life. We drove off after the black police car. We chased the car to the same dead end street as last time. The same two men were sweeping the street in front of the market stall.

"Oh, very good! Very good!" The Doctor complimented as he worked out what must have happened to the car.

"Really should have seen that coming," I muttered. "They do it all the time in movies."

We parked the moped and searched the outside of the building for a way in. It was dark before I finally found a small side gate. "Over here," I called to the Doctor quietly.

"Good job," he said, unlocking the gate with his sonic. Once inside, we noticed two policemen locking up what appeared to be a cage. We could see a bunch of people standing around inside. After the policemen were gone, the Doctor and I jogged over. He unlocked the next two gates and we walked in. Inside were all the people who had lost there faces. The Doctor pulled out a flashlight and shone it around the cage.

"Oh my gosh," I whispered, looking at all the faceless people. They stood still, opening and closing their hands in a mechanical manner. Slowly, they turned to face the Doctor and I and shuffled towards us. We backed up, the Doctor placing an arm in front of me protectively. Suddenly, a bright live flared on and the Doctor and I turned to look. I squinted through the light as I tried to make out the figures standing outside the cage.

"Stay where you are!" The man standing at the front ordered.

"It's not like we could go anywhere," I grumbled. The two police men the Doctor and I had seen earlier came into the cage and dragged us out.

"Take them to my office," the man said. The two police holding the Doctor and I nodded and hauled us off.

We were brought into a small, cluttered room. The man stood behind his desk while the Doctor and I sat in chairs on the other. "Start from the beginning, tell me everything you know," he ordered.

"Well... for starters... I know you can't wrap your hand around your elbow and make your fingers meet," the Doctor said, causing me to bit my lip as I tried not to smile.

"Don't get clever with me," the man reprimanded, pointing at the Doctor. "You two were there today at Florizel Street, and now breaking into this establishment. Now, you're connected with this. Make no mistake."

"Well, the thing is, Detective Inspector Bishop..." The Doctor started.

D.I. Bishop narrowed his eyes at the Doctor. "How do you know my name?"

"It's... written inside your collar," I told him. Bishop adjusted his collar in slight embarrassment.

"Bless your mum," the Doctor continued. "But, I can't help thinking, Detective Inspector, you're not exactly doing much detective inspecting. Are you?"

"I'm doing everything in my power," Bishop insisted.

"All you're doing is grabbing those faceless people and hiding them as fast as you can," I retorted.

"Don't tell me, orders from above, hmm?" The Doctor inquired, spinning from side to side in his chair. "Coronation Day... The eyes of the world are on London Town... so any sort of problem just gets swept out of sight."

Bishop frowned at the Doctor in irritation. "The nation has an imagine to maintain."

"Doesn't it drive you mad? Doing nothing? Don't you wanna get out there and investigate?" The Doctor asked incredulously.

"Course I do. But..." Bishop trailed off. He sighed heavily and sat down in the chair behind his desk. "With all the crowds expected, we haven't got the man-power. Even if we did... this is... beyond anything we've ever seen. I just don't know anymore," Bishop said helplessly. "Twenty years on the force..." The Doctor leaned forward against the desk, listening intently. "... I don't even know where to start. We haven't the faintest clue what's going on."

"Well... that could change," the Doctor said.

"How?"

The Doctor got to his feet, staring down at Bishop. "Start from the beginning. Tell us everything you know."

"We started finding them about a month ago. Persons left sans visage. Heads just... blank," Bishop explained. The Doctor picked up a file and slipped on his glasses.

"Is there any sort of pattern?" I asked, examining the file the Doctor was reading.

"Yes, spreading out from North London. All over the City. Men, women, kids... grannies... the only real lead is there's been quite a large number in-"

"Florizel Street," the Doctor finished. All three of us look up as there was a knock on the door.

"Found another one, sir," a policeman said, ushering another blanketed figure into the room. My hearts dropped into my stomach as I recognized the familiar poofy pinky skirt and matching shoes.

"Oh, er, good man, Crabtree," Bishop told the policeman. "Here we are, Doctor..." The Doctor place the file he and I had been reading back on the desk and approached the figure, hoping it wasn't who we knew it was. "Take a good look. See what you can deduce." The policeman took the blanket off and my hand shot to my mouth as I drew in a sharp breath.

"Rose," the Doctor whispered, eyes wide in horror.

"Do you know her?" Bishop asked.

"Know her? She..." The Doctor started, but was unable to finish. I stood close to the Doctor, staring in horrified disbelief at our now faceless friend. I tuned out Bishop's and the policeman's conversation. Who could have done this? Who would dare do this to my friend? I reached out and stroked the side of Rose's featureless face. "They did what?" The Doctor asked coldly, interrupting the two men's conversation.

"I'm sorry?" Bishop said.

"They left her where?" The Doctor said with forced calmness.

"Just... in the street." I clenched my hands into fists.

"In the street. They left her in the street," the Doctor said quietly, gritting his teeth in barely controlled anger. "They took her face and just chucked her out and left her in the street. And as a result, that makes things... simple. Very, very simple. Do you know why?" He tore his gaze away from Rose, taking off his glasses.

"No..." Bishop said hesitantly.

"Because now, Detective Inspector Bishop, there is no power on this Earth that can stop me!" The Doctor shouted furiously. "Come on!" He stormed out the door.

"We'll save you, Rose," I told her quietly. She didn't respond, only stood there. I sighed and then followed the Doctor. I didn't understand why I hadn't gotten any sort of warning about this. I know my foreknowledge from my time as Elena had been locked up when I became a Time Lady again. However, based on the couple visions I had gotten, some of my previous foreknowledge was managing to slip past the barriers. It seemed to happen when someone was in danger, so why hadn't it happened when Rose had her face taken? I sighed. I didn't have time to worry about when and why I received a vision.

The Doctor, D.I. Bishop, and I stepped out through main gates into the bright sunlight. "The big day dawns..." Bishop said. The Doctor and I stared ahead in quiet determination. Whoever had hurt Rose was going to pay for what they did. Nobody messed with our companions without facing the consequences. I slipped my hand into the Doctor's causing him to glance at me. I squeezed his hand, trying to comfort him as much as myself. Together, we headed down the street towards our only lead.

The Doctor knocked on the Connolly's door and Tommy answered. "Tommy, talk to us," the Doctor said. Tommy stepped outside and closed the door behind him. "I need to know exactly what happened inside your house."

Suddenly, the door was jerked open violently to reveal an angry Mr. Connolly. "What the blazes do you think you're doing?" He asked Tommy roughly.

"I wanna help, dad," Tommy said.

"Mr Connolly..." The Doctor warned.

"Shut your face, you," Mr. Connolly growled at the Doctor. I glared at the man, but he didn't seem to notice. "Whoever you are. We can handle this ourselves." He turned back to Tommy. "Listen you, little twerp. You're hardly out of the bloomin' cradle, so I don't expect you to understand. But I've got a position to maintain. People round here respect me. It matters what people think."

"Is that why you did it, dad?" Tommy asked.

Mr. Connolly's eyes widened. "What d'you mean? Did what?"

"You ratted on gran," Tommy accused. "How else would the police know where to look? Unless some coward told them..."

"How dare you?" Mr. Connolly fumed. "You think I fought a war just so a mouthy little scum like you could call me a coward?"

"You don't get it, do you?" Tommy snapped. "You fought against fascism, remember? People telling you how to live, who you could be friends with, who you could fall in love with, who could live and who had to die. Don't you get it? You were fighting so that little twerps like me could do what we want. Say what we want. Now you've become just like them. You've been informing on everyone, haven't you? Even gran. All to protect your precious reputation." Tommy glared at his father with tears in his eyes.

Mrs. Connolly appeared at the door. "Eddie... is that true?" She asked quietly.

"I did it for _us_ , Rita! She was filthy. A filthy, disgusting thing," Mrs. Connolly said angrily.

Mrs. Connolly stared at her husband in shock at his betrayal. "She's my mother. All the others, you informed on all the people in our street, our friends."

"I had to," Mr. Connolly said, glancing between all of us. "I did the right thing...!"

"The right thing for us... or for you, Eddie?" Mrs. Connolly asked. Her husband stared at her in shock. She turned to Tommy. "You go, Tommy. You go with the Doctor and do some good. Get away from this house. It's poison. We had a ruddy monster under this roof, all right, but it weren't my mother!" She slammed the door in Mr. Connolly's face.

"Tommy?" I said, holding out my hand to the boy. He hesitated only for a moment before taking it. The Doctor, Bishop, Tommy, and I walked down the street, leaving Mr. Connolly on his door step.

We walked down the street, people running around preparing for a party. "Tommy, tell me about that night. The night she changed," the Doctor urged.

Tommy just shrugged helplessly. "She was just watching the telly."

I nearly face palmed as I finally put the pieces of the mystery together. "Why didn't I realize it sooner," I scolded myself. The Doctor glanced at me with a questioning gaze. "Rose said it. She guessed it straight away, clever girl."

The Doctor paused in his step as he finally made the connection. "Of course. All these aerials in one little street, how come?" He said, looking at the tv antennas on top of each house.

"Bloke up the road, Mr. Magpie, he's selling them cheap," Tommy explained. Tommy had hardly finished his sentence when the Doctor grabbed my hand and took off down the road.

"Come on!" The Doctor yelled back at Tommy and Bishop.

We stopped outside Magpie's shop. Instead of pulling out his sonic screwdriver, the Doctor simply smashed the glass in the door and stuck his arm in to unlock it. "Here, you can't do that..." Bishop protested, but the Doctor ignored him. He got the door open and strode over to the counter.

"If you're here, come out and talk to me! MAGPIE?" The Doctor shouted, banging a bell sitting on the counter furiously. I started to search around the room, opening various drawers and sifting through their contents.

"Maybe he's out," Tommy suggested.

"Looks like it..." The Doctor replied.

I made my way behind the counter and found a device that looked like a cross between a portable radio and tv. Whatever it was, it way beyond its time. "Doctor, take a look at this," I said, holding up the object.

The Doctor eyed the object curiously. He reached over the counter and took it from me, "Oh, hello... this isn't right. This is very much not right." He licked it, much to the surprise of Tommy and Bishop. I just rolled my eyes. "Tastes like iron. Bakelite," he commented. He put the object down on the counter. "Put together with human hands, yes, but the design itself..." He scanned it with his sonic and checked the readings. "Oh, beautiful work. That is so simple."

"That's incredible. It's like a television, but portable. A portable television!" Bishop gasped, looking at the object in amazement.

I smiled slightly. ' _Wait another 72 years, you haven't seen anything yet._ '

The Doctor pointed his sonic around the room and the televisions lining the wall turned on to static. "It's not the only power source in this room..." He murmured. The static gradually faded and was replaced on each screen with a different face. Each of the faces looked terrified, mouthing pleas for help.

"Gran?" Tommy asked, staring horrified at one particular screen. I scanned my gaze over the rest of the screens until my eyes fell on one particular face.

"Rose," I whispered. The Doctor came to stand next to me, also staring at Rose. Tears filled my eyes when I noticed she was mouthing 'Doctor, Wonder' over and over again. I knelt before her screen and placed my hand on her face. "We're on my way," I assured her, even though I knew she couldn't her me. The Doctor placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"What do you think you're doing?" Magpie asked as he entered the shop through the back.

I rounded on him. "I want my friend restored and I think that's beyond a little backstreet electrician so tell me, who's really in charge here?" I snarled, making Magpie flinch at my ferocity.

"Yoohoo! I think that must be me," a voice said cheerfully. Everyone turned as a woman appeared on one of the screens. "Ooh, this one's smart as paint," she commented, looking at me.

"Is she talking to us?" Bishop asked hesitantly.

"Sorry gentlemen, I'm... I'm afraid you've brought this on yourselves," Magpie apologized. "May I introduce you to my new... friend."

' _You hesitated,_ ' I thought, eyeing the woman on the screen wearily.

"Jolly nice to meet you," the woman replied happily.

"Oh my gosh, it's her, that woman off the telly," Bishop gasped.

I shook my head. "No, it's just using her image."

"What... what are you?" Tommy asked the woman.

"I'm the Wire, and I will gobble you up, pretty boy," the Wire grinned. "Every last morsel. And when I have feasted, I shall regain the corporeal body, which my fellow-kind denied me." The screen changed to color.

"Good gracious, color television!" Bishop gasped.

"So your own people tried to stop you?" The Doctor said, glowering at the Wire.

"They executed me. But I escaped, in this form, and fled across the stars," the Wire said.

"And now you're trapped in the television," I said.

The Wire's smirk faded along with the color on the screen. "Not for much longer."

"Is this what got my gran?" Tommy asked the Doctor.

The Doctor nodded solemnly. "Yes, Tommy. It feeds off the electrical activity of the brain, but it gorges itself like a great overfed pig. Taking people's faces, their essences, it stuffs itself."

"And you let her do it, Magpie," Bishop accused, glaring at the man.

"I had to!" Magpie defended. "She allowed me my face! She's promised to release me at the time of manifestation."

"What does that mean?" Tommy asked.

The Wire smirked. "The appointed time, my crowning glory."

"Doctor, the coronation!" Bishop realized.

"For the first time in history, millions gathered around a television set," the Doctor said. He approached the Wire, donning a smirk of his own. "But you're not strong enough yet, are you? You can't do it all from here. That's why you need this!" He held up the portable television I found earlier. "You need something more powerful! This will turn a big transmitter into a big receiver."

"What a clever thing you are!" The Wire commented. "But why fret about it? Why not just relax? Kick off your shoes and enjoy the coronation. Believe me, you'll be glued to the screen." Suddenly, red tendrils of light reached out from the Wire's tv and latched onto the Doctor's, Tommy's, Bishop's, and I's faces.

"Doctor!" Tommy and Bishop cried.

' _Theta!_ ' I shouted mentally. I tried to pull away, but for some reason I was unable to move.

"Hungry! Hungry! The Wire is hungry! Ah!" The Wire said gleefully as she feasted on us. "These two are tasty. Oh! I'll have lashings of them! Delicious! Ah!"

' _Hang on, Aryia!_ ' The Doctor told me.

"Armed!" The Wire suddenly gasped. "He's armed and clever! Withdraw! Withdraw!" The connection was severed and we all collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"-der! Wonder!" I awoke to someone calling my name and shaking my arm urgently. "Come on, wake up!" I groaned and opened my eyes to see an anxious Doctor looming over me.

"Morning," I mumbled.

He grinned at me. "Thank goodness you're awake," he said, relieved. He pulled me to my feet and proceeded to wake up Tommy. "Tommy, wake up! Tommy! Come on!" I glanced over at Bishop and saw that he had no face. I clenched my fists in anger.

"What happened?" Tommy asked, finally waking up.

I glanced around the shop and noticed someone was missing. "Where's Magpie?" The Doctor jerked his head up and bolted outside, Tommy and I at his heels. I groaned in frustration when I saw that Magpie had gone.

"We don't even know where to start looking, it's too late," Tommy said despairingly.

"It's never too late, as a wise person once said," the Doctor said.

"Kylie wasn't it?" I asked and the Doctor nodded.

"But the Wire's got a big plan..." He continued, "so it'll need... Yes, yes, yes, it's got to harness half the population... millions and millions of people... and where are we?"

"Muswell Hill," Tommy answered.

"Muswell Hill. Muswell Hill! Which means..." The Doctor spun around and spotted a large building in the distance. "Alexandra Palace!" The Doctor grinned, gesturing at the building with both hands.

"Of course! Biggest TV transmitter in North London!" I said, grinning. "No wonder they chose this place!"

"Come on," the Doctor told me, going back to the shop door.

"What are you going to do?" Tommy asked.

"We're going shopping," the Doctor replied, dashing back inside the shop.

The Doctor and I searched the shop high and low, grabbing anything we could use against the Wire. "Is this what you want?" Tommy asked us, holding up a device.

The Doctor grinned. "Perfect! Right, I need one more thing." He dumped the equipment he and I had gathered into Tommy's arms and dashed back outside, heading towards the TARDIS.

The Doctor came out of the TARDIS with some wires around his neck. "Got it, let's go." The Doctor and I put together our device as we ran down the street towards Alexandra Palace.

"There!" Tommy shouted as the Doctor took the device from his arms. The Doctor and I glanced up and spotted Magpie climbing the electrical tower.

"Come on!" The Doctor yelled.

We rounded a corner and ran up to a official. "Woah, Woah, woah! Where do you think..." The official stopped mid sentence as the Doctor flashed him the psychic paper as we passed. "Oh! I'm sorry sir, ma'am! Shouldn't you be at the coronation?"

"They're saving us a seat," I told him. The official nodded in confusion.

"Who did he think you were?" Tommy asked.

"King and Queen of Belgium, apparently," the Doctor replied, glancing at the psychic paper. We entered the Alexandra Palace control room and the Doctor and I dashed about, gathering the rest of the needed equipment. Tommy stood in front of a tv screen and tape recorder. "Keep it switched on. Don't let anyone stop you, Tommy. Everything depends on it. You understand?" The Doctor told Tommy urgently. Tommy nodded and the Doctor and I sprinted outside and back past the confused official, the Doctor trailing a stream of magnetic recording tape behind him from a reel around his waist. I made to follow him up the metal stairs to the transmitter, but the Doctor stopped and turned to me. "No, you stay here. It's too dangerous."

"It's no more dangerous than anything else we've done," I protested.

"We don't have time to argue," he snapped. "Just please stay here," he added a bit softer.

I sighed in frustration. "Fine, but be careful," I conceded.

"When am I not?" He said, giving me a quick kiss.

I raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to answer that?" He just grinned cheekily and darted up the stairs, taking three at a time.

"You'll get yourself killed up there!" The official told the Doctor as he climbed. "Your Majesty!" I watched nervously as the Doctor began to climb the transmitter. Magpie had already reach the top. He plugged the portable tv into the transmitter and dozens of tendrils of red electricity spread throughout the city, attaching to each of the antennas. As the Doctor continued to climb he was struck by one of the tendrils. He cried out in pain and his foot slipped, but he managed to hang on and continue the climb.

"I won't let you do this, Magpie!" I heard him shout. He was struck again.

"Doctor!" I cried out in concern. Suddenly, Magpie fell off the transmitter, screaming as he was blown into a thousand particles of light. I gasped in horror. Finally the Doctor reached the top and reached for the portable tv. He jerked his hand back as he was zapped again. He picked up the tv and cried out again as he was zapped in the foot.

"Rubber souls! Swear by them!" He shouted. He plugged a switch into the tv, but nothing happened.

"Come on, Tommy," I whispered, staring up at the Doctor worriedly. A tense moment later and the red electricity retreated back into the portable tv. "Yes!" I squealed happily, jumping up and down. The Doctor made his way back down and I ran to him. I jumped into his arms, bother of us wearing identical grins. He gripped me tightly and spun me around, both of us giggling like children at Christmas.

"Come on," the Doctor said, setting me back down on the ground. "Let's go get Tommy." We headed back to the control room. Tommy was watching the coronation on one of the tv screens. "What have we missed?" The Doctor said as we entered.

Tommy jumped and spun around. "Doctor! Wonder! What happened?"

"Sorted. Electrical creature, TV technology, clever alien life form, that's me by the way," the Doctor said. I shook my head and chuckled. "I turned the receiver back into a transmitter and I trapped the Wire in here." He held up a video tape. "I just invented the home video 30 years earlier. Betamax." He turned to the screen Tommy had been watching. "Oh look! God save the Queen, eh?" He grinned. Tommy blinked, having not understood a word the Doctor had just said and I just smiled.

We returned to Tommy's street. Tons of people were milling around and greeting their loved ones. "Gran!" Tommy shouted happily, running over to meet her.

"Look, it's my grandson! Oh son!" His gran said happily, hugging Tommy tightly.

"Only missing one person," I noted as the Doctor and I scanned the crowd for our companion. We turned around and spotted her. A wide smile spread on all three of our faces. I jogged over to Rose and enveloped her in a hug. We giggled, happy to see each other again. I let go of Rose to let the Doctor hug her.

50's music played as people talked and danced. Tables lined the middle of the road, covered in a variety of food and drinks. The Doctor, Rose, and I strolled down the street smiling at the people partying around us. "We could go down the mall, join in with the crowd," Rose suggested.

"Nah, that's just pomp and circumstance," the Doctor said, taking a bite out of a pastry. "This is history right here."

"The domestic approach."

"Exactly." The Doctor replied and we all laughed. I took a bite out of the cupcake I had, savoring the sweet taste.

"Will it... that thing... is it trapped for good, on video?" Rose asked nervously, nodding towards the tape the Doctor had.

"Hope so. Just to be on the safe side though, I'll use my unrivaled knowledge of trans temporal extirpation methods to neutralize the residual electronic pattern," the Doctor said.

Rose blinked. "You what?"

"He means he's going to tape over it," I explained, taking another bite of my cupcake.

"Just leave it to me, I'm always doing that," Rose laughed. We met up with Tommy, who was leaning against one of the tables.

"Tell you what Tommy, you can have the scooter," the Doctor told him. "Little present. Best... um... keep it in the garage for a few years though, eh?"

"Good riddance," Tommy grumbled, looking over the Doctor's shoulder. We turned to look and spotted Mr. Connolly walking the the street, suitcase in hand.

"Is that it then, Tommy? New monarch, new age, new world, no room for a man like Eddie Connelly," the Doctor said.

Tommy nodded. "That's right. He deserves it." As Tommy watched his father, I knew that despite everything Mr. Connolly had done, Tommy still loved him.

I nudged Tommy's shoulder. "Tommy, go after him," I told him softly.

"What for?" Tommy asked.

"He's your dad," I replied simply.

"He's an idiot."

I cracked a smile. "Course he is. Like I said, he's your dad. But you're clever. Clever enough to save the world so don't stop there. Go on!" I gave him another encouraging nudge. Tommy stared at me for a moment before darting off after his father. He joined his dad and took his suitcase for him. The continued down the street side by side. I smiled fondly after Tommy. The Doctor handed Rose and I a glass of orange juice. We chinked our glasses together, smiling. A new song came on and the Doctor set down his empty glass.

"Come on snake, let's rattle!" He said in a New York accent, holding out his hand to me.

I giggled at his 50s lingo and decided to use some of my own. "I'm totally cranked, Daddy-O." I took his hand and he started swinging me around. Rose watched us, smiling fondly as we danced.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Please Reveiw and let me know. Also, there is a comic con coming up that I want to go to and I thought about cosplaying as the eleventh Doctor in his third season outfit. I thought it would be cool to make a Handles prop, but I have know idea how. If anyone can give me any ideas as to how to go about making Handles, that would be great (keep in mind that I have no artistic talent whatsoever). Till next time!**


	23. Down Time

**Hello readers! I bring to you the next chapter. This chapter is all original content. This chapter kind of gives you a bit of insight as to what the Doctor and Wonder get up to when they are not on adventures. I hope you like it. I own nothing but Wonder.**

* * *

I sighed in content as I settled on the couch in the library with my book. I wrapped a blanket around myself, sipping on my mug of tea as I read. Rose had wanted to visit her mom again so the Doctor and I decided we would take a day off from the running-for-our-lives adventures. While I had made my way to the library, the Doctor stayed in the console room to do some "necessary" repairs. I told him not to mess with things, but he had insisted it would be fine. A couple of hours later I had finished my book and decided to check on the Doctor. As I entered the console room, I spotted the Doctor half hidden under the console. The console sparked and he let out a yelp of pain.

"I told you not to mess with her," I said, smiling in amusement.

The Doctor came out from under the console. "I was just fixing a few wires," he grumbled, sticking his burnt fingers in his mouth.

"You know she doesn't like it when you try to fix things that don't need fixing," I reminded him and the TARDIS hummed in agreement. He pouted and muttered something about the TARDIS and I ganging up on him. I shook my head and chuckled. "Come on, you need a break," I told him.

"Where are we going?" He asked as I grabbed his hand and dragged him down the hall.

"Swimming," I replied. "I see the pool every time I go in the library and I've been dying to go for swim."

A short while later, I came out of my room dressed in a navy blue, halter top tankini and a black pair of swim shorts. I padded back to the library to wait for the Doctor. I thought it was rather strange that the TARDIS had decided to put the pool in the library. I slowly entered the water so my body could get used to the temperature. The water was actually relatively warm. "How's the water?" The Doctor asked as he entered the library.

"Feels gre-" I stopped mid sentence as I turned to look at him. The Doctor had changed into a pair of brown, pin-stripped swim trunks, exactly like his suit. Just as I had turned to him, he pulled off the t-shirt he was wearing. With his chest now bare, I could see how lean and muscular he was.

"Like what you see?" He asked with a smirk. I quickly shut my mouth as I had been staring at him open mouthed.

I gave him a once over. "Very much," I replied. He winked at me causing me to blush slightly. I put my hands on my hips. "Are you going to join me or not?"

"Yes, now move over." He backed up a couple steps.

I raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What are you-" I didn't get a chance to finish my question as he came running towards me and launched himself off the edge of the pool. My eyes widened and I scrambled to get out of the way. He canon balled into the pool, sending a wave of water over me. I wiped my eyes of water and glanced around when he didn't come up right away. I let out a squeak of surprise when I felt something grab my ankle, but was cut off when I was jerked under water. I came up spluttering.

"Woo! That was fun," the Doctor cheerfully. I sent him a playful glare, but it didn't last long as I started giggling. "What?" He asked.

"Your hair," I replied, still giggling. His usually spikey hair was now plastered to his forehead. The Doctor glanced up at his flat hair and pouted, making me giggle harder.

"Looks like I will just have to mess up your hair," he said, before reaching over and ruffling my hair.

"No! Stop!" I giggled, trying to hold back his hands. His hands moved from my hair to my sides where he proceeded to tickle me. I tried to get away, but he grabbed me and wrapped his arms around me, pinning me to his chest. I squirmed and laughed as he continued to tickle me. Finally he stopped and allowed me to breathe, but kept his arms around me. Once I had managed to catch my breath, I tilted my head back to look at him. I stared into his warm, chocolate brown eyes. He gazed back at me softly. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. I turned around in his arms to get a better angle and deepen the kiss. He pulled away and rested his forehead against mine.

"I love you, Aryia," he said softly.

"I love you too, Theta," I replied.

For the next couple hours, the Doctor and I played around in the pool. The TARDIS had provided us with a variety of different pool accessories. We took turns going down the water slide and chased each other in inner tubes. We tried balancing on pool noodles and I laughed at the Doctor when he lost his balance and the noodle came up and bonked him on the head. Unfortunately, that caused me to loose my balance and I flailed my arms helplessly as I fell into the water. We practiced diving off the diving board, critiquing each other on the quality of the other's dive. When we were done, we each went and showered. After I was done, I headed to the Doctor's room, asking the TARDIS to make sure he was decent before I entered. "What should we do next?" The Doctor asked me when he came out of the bathroom, dressed back in his iconic suit, though he had left off his tie. I sat on his bed braiding my damp hair.

"How 'bout we watch a movie?" I suggested.

"Alright." We made our way to the theater room and began searching the multitudes of movies. "How about this one?" The Doctor asked, holding up yet another movie. I shook my head and he sighed and put the movie back on the shelf. "Well, what do you want to watch?"

I scanned the shelf till my gaze fell on one particular movie. I grabbed it off the shelf. "This one."

" _The Fellowship of the Ring_ ," the Doctor read. "What's that about?"

My jaw dropped. "Are you telling me you've never seen _Lord of the Rings_?!" He shook his head. "Well, then, you are going to learn today." I grabbed the other two movies in the series and placed them by the tv. "It's a good thing we don't need much sleep 'cause we got twelve hours worth of movies to watch."

"Twelve hours?" The Doctor asked in surprise.

"Extended edition," was all I said as I popped in the first disc of Fellowship of the Ring. I snuggled close to the Doctor, resting my head against his chest as we lounged on the couch. He reached around me to the popcorn bowl sitting in my lap and grabbed a handful. I happily munched away on a chocolate bar, occasionally breaking off a bit for the Doctor. He had to scold me a few times as I quietly quoted lines along with the characters. It was morning by the time we had finished all three movies. The floor was littered with a variety of candy wrappers and there was popcorn all over the couch as the Doctor and I had gotten into a popcorn war. "We should probably clean up this mess," I told the Doctor, sitting up and glancing around.

The Doctor sat up behind me, setting his chin on my shoulder. "The TARDIS will take care of it," he assured me, pressing his lips to my neck. I closed my eyes and let out a quiet moan. "Rose will be coming back soon," he said, after kissing my neck a few times. I merely hummed, not really listening as I enjoyed the feeling of his lips on my skin. "We should probably go wait for her in the console room." He stopped kissing my neck, causing me to pout. He just chuckled and stood up, bringing me with him. "Come on." I sighed and nodded. I stretched my arms above my head, groaning slightly as I felt my back pop.

"Next time we can watch the Hobbit movies," I said as I skipped past him to the console room.

"Fine," he replied. "But I get to hold the popcorn bowl."

We checked up on Rose and told her we were ready to go. We ate breakfast with Jackie and Rose, at Jackie's insistence. She had piled the table with pancakes, eggs, bacon, and hash browns. We had told she didn't need to go through all the trouble, but she had assured us it was no problem and that we should eat up, muttering something about the Doctor being too skinny. I had to cover my mouth to hide my giggles at the Doctor's offended expression. "So, where are we going this time?" Rose asked as she came bouncing into the TARDIS after saying her goodbyes to Jackie.

"I was thinking about going to another planet," the Doctor said. "What do you think?"

Rose grinned. "Sounds good."

The Doctor turned to me. "Wonder?"

"Certainty of death. Small chance of success...What are we waiting for?" I replied. The Doctor grinned and pulled the lever, sending us towards our next adventure.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Was it any good? If you think anything could be changed or added to make it better, let me know. Please review. Till next time!**


	24. Impossible Planet

**Hello readers! Sorry about the delay. My browser was picky and wouldn't let me update the chapter last night. I am currently editing my old chapters. One of my readers mentioned that Elena doesn't seem to have much of a presence in the story. I will hopefully fix that problem or at least work on fixing it. So the next few updates will probably just be me updating older chapters. Anyway, on with the show! I own nothing but my oc.**

* * *

The TARDIS wheezed and groaned in protest as we landed. The Doctor, Rose, and I stepped out. I eyed the TARDIS in concern. ' _What's the matter, sexy?_ ' I asked, placing a comforting hand on the blue box. She merely let out a slightly pained hum.

"I dunno what's wrong with her, she's sort of... queasy," the Doctor said, rubbing the TARDIS comfortingly. "Indigestion, like she didn't wanna land."

"Oh, if you think there's gonna be trouble, we could always get back inside and go somewhere else..." Rose suggested seriously. We all burst out laughing at the idea of us running away from trouble.

I glanced around the are we had landed in. "I think... we've landed inside a cupboard! Here we go!" I walked over to a larger door and turned the wheel.

" **Open Door 15** ," a computer announced as the three of us stepped through.

"Some sort of base... moon base, sea base, space base... they build these things out of kits," the Doctor said.

"Glad we're indoors, sounds like a storm out there..." Rose commented. I nodded in agreement, listening to the wind beat against...whatever we we in.

" **Open Door 16** ," the computer stated as the Doctor opened another door. We stepped through into a narrow corridor.

"Human design, you've got a thing about kits," the Doctor told Rose. "This place was put together like a flat-pack wardrobe, only bigger...and easier."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Humans are lazy," I commented. "I never wanted to do much when I was human." I thought back to my days as a human in the other universe. "Actually, I hardly ever left the house. I was extremely introverted. Spent most of my time online when I wasn't doing homework. Preferred talking to animals rather than people."

"At least animals listen," Rose added.

I nodded and smiled. "And they don't judge you." We went through another door into a larger circular room. It appeared to be a canteen.

" **Open Door 17.** "

"Oh, it's a sanctuary base!" The Doctor realized as he stood into the middle of the room.

Rose closed the door. " **Close Door 17.** "

"Deep Space exploration. We've gone way out. And listen to that, underneath..." The Doctor pointed downward, indicating for Rose and I to listen. We could hear a distinct rumbling.

"Someone's drilling," I noted.

"Welcome to hell," Rose said. I glanced at her, brows raised in confusion till I saw that she read in something on the wall.

"Oh, it's not that bad!" The Doctor protested.

Rose laughed and pointed to the wall. "No, over there!" The words 'Welcome to hell' were scrawled on the wall. Underneath that were some ancient symbols. I frowned at the symbols and moved closer to examine them.

"Hold on..." The Doctor came over to crouch by me, also staring at the strange symbols. "What does that say?"

"It won't translate," I noticed, starting to get a bit nervous. If the TARDIS couldn't translate it, well, it didn't mean anything good.

"But I thought the TARDIS translated everything, writing as well. We should see English," Rose pointed out.

"Exactly," the Doctor confirmed. "If that's not working, then it means... this writing is old. Very old. Impossibly old." He stood up and went to another door. "We should find out who's in charge. We've gone beyond the reach of the TARDIS knowledge. Not a good move. And if someone's lucky enough..."

" **Open Door 19.** " All three of us gasped in shock and stumbled back a couple steps as we were met with a group of aliens. They were humanoid, but the appeared to have tentacles where there mouths should've been. They all held a small translucent orb in their hand with seemed to be attached in their tentacles.

"Right! Hello! Sorry! Uh... I was just saying, uh... nice base!" The Doctor said hurriedly, trying to regain his composure.

"We must feed," the aliens said together, their orbs lighting up as they talked.

"You're gonna what?" The Doctor asked, raising his eyebrows.

"We must feed," the aliens repeated.

"Yeah. I think they mean us," Rose said nervously. We backed away as the aliens advanced.

"We must feed." We ran to another door only for it to open and more of the aliens to come in. "We must feed. We must feed. We must feed." Another door opened and more aliens came in. The Doctor, Rose, and I backed up to a wall. "We must feed. We must feed. We must feed." The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and Rose grabbed a nearby chair, raising it threateningly. "We must feed. We must feed." I tilted my head slightly, eyeing the aliens. Despite the fact that they were saying they needed to feed, they didn't seem entirely threatening. Then again, I've been traveling with the Doctor long enough to know that not all enemies appeared threatening at first. The Doctor and Rose stared at the aliens in terror. The Doctor had placed himself in front of me protectively. "We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed," the aliens repeated. They stopped advancing and the one in front shook and tapped his orb. "You. If you are hungry," he added. I blinked.

"Sorry?" The Doctor asked, lowering his sonic.

"We apologize. Electromagnetics have interfered with our speech systems," the alien explained politely. Rose lowered her chair. "Would you like some refreshment?"

"Uhm..." The Doctor trailed off, unsure how to react.

" **Open Door 18** ," the computer announced. Three people came through the door and froze when they spotted the Doctor, Rose, and I.

"What the heck...? How did...?" The first man stuttered as the three newcomers stared at us in shock. He approached us, eyeing us in disbelief. "Captain... you're not going to believe this," he said, speaking in a communicator on his wrist. "We've got _people_. Out of nowhere. I mean, real people. I mean three... living... people. Just standing here, right in front of me." I furrowed my brows and shared a confused look with Rose and the Doctor. Why would they be surprised to see people?

" **Don't be stupid, that's impossible** ," a voice scoffed through the communicator.

"I suggest telling them that," the first man replied.

"But you're a sort of space base, you must have visitors now and then. It can't be that impossible," Rose said, just as confused as the Doctor and I.

"You're telling me you don't know where you are?" The man asked us roughly.

"No idea. More fun that way," the Doctor answered with a grin.

" **Stand by, everyone. Buckle down,** " a woman's voice ordered over the comms. " **We have incoming. And it's a big one. Quake Point 5 on its way.** " The base began to quake and the first man ran over and opened a door.

"Through here! Now. Quickly, come on!" He ordered us urgently as a siren began wailing.

"What about them?" I asked, gesturing to the aliens.

"Never mind the Ood! Come on!" We quickly obliged, the other two men following behind. "Now!" We ran through another corridor, the while base shaking violently. Smoke rose from the floor and sparks flew everywhere. "Move it! Come on! Come on, come on!" The man shouted over the noise. I tripped as we ran, but the Doctor caught my arm and steadied me. I nodded in thanks as we continued running. "Move it, come on! Quickly! Move it!" We reached the end of the corridor and entered the control room where more of the crew were busy working. They all look up and they mouths dropped open. The Doctor beamed away at everyone.

"Oh, my gosh. You meant it," the man we had heard over the comms earlier said.

"People! Look at that! Real people!" A woman no older than Rose said, staring at us in fascination.

"That's us," I confirmed, bouncing on the ball of my feet.

"Yeah, definitely real," Rose added, smiling. "My name's Rose... Rose Tyler, and... and this is the Doctor and Wonder." Rose gestured to each of us as she introduced us.

A man off to the side got up from his chair and approached us. "Come on... the oxygen must be offline. We're hallucinating," he insisted, looking us up and down. "They can't be... no. They're real!"

"Come on, we're in the middle of an alert!" The man, who I remembered being addressed as Captain by the guy who found us, said impatiently. "Danny, strap up, the quake's coming in! Impact in thirty seconds!" Everyone strapped themselves down. "Sorry, you three, whoever you are. Just... hold on. Tight," he told the Doctor, Rose, and I.

"Hold on to what?" Rose asked.

"Anything. I don't care," the Captain snapped. "Just hold on. Ood, are we fixed?" We found some railings behind us and latched on.

"Your kindness in this emergency is much appreciated," the Ood, the aliens we had encountered earlier, said.

"What's this planet called, anyway?" The Doctor asked.

"Now, don't be stupid. It hasn't got a name. How could it have a name?" A blonde woman scoffed. The Doctor and I raised our eyebrows questioningly. "You really don't know, do you?"

"And... Impact!" The Captain announced. The entire base shook violently. The Doctor, Rose, and I clung tightly to the railings. A few seconds later, the base stopped shaking and the Doctor got to his feet.

"Oh, well, that wasn't so bad...!" He said. As soon as he had finished speaking the base started shaking again, more violently this time. I grabbed the back of his suit coat and yanked him back down. He placed his hands on the railing on either side of me, protecting me from the sparks flying around the room. A small explosion erupted from one of the consoles. Finally, the base stopped shaking.

"Okay, that's it," the Capitan announced. The man who found us ran to grab a fire extinguisher to put out the fire on the console. "Everyone all right? Speak to me, Ida?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Ida replied.

"Danny?"

"Fine," Danny confirmed.

"Toby?

Toby nodded. "Yeah, fine."

"Scooti?"

"No damage," Scooti announced, checking a computer.

"Jefferson?"

"Check!" Jefferson said.

"We're fine, thanks, fine, yeah, don't worry about us," the Doctor said with a slight air of annoyance.

"The surface caved in," the Captain reported. "I deflected it onto storage 5 through 8. We've lost them completely. Toby, go and check the rocket link."

"That's not my department," Toby grumbled.

"Just do as I say, yeah?" The Captain replied in annoyance. Toby left reluctantly.

"Oxygen holding. Internal gravity 56.6. We should be okay," Ida assured us.

Rose glance around, listening to the storm outside. "Never mind the earthquake, that's... that's one heck of a storm. What is that, a hurricane?"

"You'd need an atmosphere for a hurricane," Scooti said. "There's no air out there. It's a complete vacuum."

"Then what's shaking the roof?"

"You're not joking. You really don't know?" Ida realized. "Well, introductions. FYI, as they said in the olden days. I'm Ida Scott, science officer." She pointed to the Captain. "Zachary Cross Flane, acting Captain, sir... you've met Mr Jefferson, he's head of security." She pointed to the man who found us. "Danny Bartock. Ethics committee." She pointed to the man who had approached us earlier when we came in.

"Not as boring as it sounds," Danny assured us, causing the Doctor, Rose, and I to grin.

"And that man who just left, that was Toby Zed, archaeology, and this..." Ida placed her hands on the young woman's shoulders, "is Scooti Manista. Trainee maintenance." Scooti smiled at us. "And this... this is home." Ida turned a lever and a whirring sound was heard.

"Brace yourselves," Zach warned. "The sight of it sends some people mad." The roof opened and the room filled with a red-ish light. The Doctor, Rose, and I all looked up. My jaw dropped at the sight of the black hole right above us.

"That's a black hole," Rose gasped.

"But that's impossible," I said, staring at the black hole I disbelief.

"I did warn you," Zach said.

"We're standing under a black hole," the Doctor said.

"We're in orbit," Ida corrected.

"But we can't be..."

"You can see for yourself. We're in orbit," Ida pointed out.

"But we can't be," the Doctor insisted.

"This lump of rock is suspended in perpetual geostationary orbit around that black hole without falling in," Ida explained.

"And that's bad, yeah?" Rose inquired.

"That doesn't cover it..." I replied. "A black hole's a dead star, it collapses in on itself, in and in and in until the matter's so dense and tight it starts to pull everything else in too. Nothing in the universe can escape it. Light, gravity... time... everything just gets pulled inside... and crushed."

"So, they can't be in orbit. We should be pulled right in," Rose reasoned.

The Doctor nodded. "We should be dead."

"And yet... here we are. Beyond the laws of physics," Ida said. "Welcome on board."

"But if there's no atmosphere out there, what's that?" Rose asked, pointing to some clouds speeding towards the black hole.

"Stars breaking up... gas clouds... we have whole solar systems being ripped apart above our heads before falling into that thing," Ida explained.

"So, a bit worse than a storm, then."

Ida nodded. "Just a bit."

"Just a bit, yeah." The base shook again. The Doctor, Rose, and I joined Zach at the console.

" **Close Door 1,** " the computer announced as Toby came back.

"The rocket link's fine," he said.

Zach pressed a button on the controls and a hologram of the black hole came up. The Doctor slipped his glasses on to get a better look. "You really don't need those, you know," I told the Doctor, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye.

"I know, but they make me look cool," he replied.

"Mmm, I would have said foxy, but that's just me," I said with a shrug. The Doctor smirked at me.

"That's the black hole officially designated K37 Gen 5," Zach explained, drawing our attention back to the hologram.

"In the scriptures of the Falltino, this planet is called Kroptor," Ida examined. "The bitter pill. And the black hole is supposed to be a mighty demon. It was tricked into devouring the planet, only to spit it out. Because it was poison."

"The bitter pill. I like that," Rose commented.

"We are so far out. Lost in the drifts of the universe, how did you even get here?!" The Doctor asked.

Zach shrugged. "We flew in. You see..." He pressed another button and the hologram changed to one of the planet with a gravity field emanating out from it like a tunnel. "This planet's generating a gravity field. We don't know how, we've no idea, but... it's kept in constant balance against the black hole. And the field extends out there. As a funnel. A distinct... gravity funnel, reaching out into clear space. That was our way in."

"You flew down that thing? Like a rollercoaster," Rose said with a grin.

"By rights, the ship should've been torn apart. We lost the Captain... which is what put me in charge..." Zach said sadly.

"You're doing a good job," Ida assured him.

He shrugged. "Yeah. Well, needs must."

"But if that gravity funnel closes, there's no way out," Danny explained.

"We had fun speculating about that," Scooti said sarcastically.

"Oh, yeah. That's the word," Danny said, smacking Scooti upside the head with a scroll. "Fun."

"But that field would take phenomenal amounts of power!" The Doctor said, completely stumped. "I mean... not just big, but off the scale! Can I...?" He gestured towards the calculator.

Ida shrugged. "Sure. Help yourself." She pushed the calculator over to him and he got to work. I peeked over his shoulder as he worked, pointing out a mistake or two in his calculations.

"Your refreshment," an Ood announced, handing Rose a cup.

"Oh yeah, thanks. Thank you. I'm sorry, what was your name?" Rose asked it.

"We have no titles. We are as one," the Ood replied.

"Uhm, what are they called?" Rose asked Danny after the Ood left.

"Oh, come on," he scoffed. "Where've you been living? Everyone's got one!"

"Well, not me, so what are they?"

"They're the Ood," Danny replied.

Rose raised her eyebrows. "The 'Ood'?"

Danny nodded. "The Ood."

"Well that's... ood," Rose joked.

"Very ood! But handy. They work the mine shafts," Danny explained. "All the drilling and stuff. Supervision, and maintenance! They're born for it. Basic slave race." I glanced up from helping the Doctor with calculations and narrowed my eyes at Danny.

"You've got slaves?" Rose asked, surprised.

"Don't start, she's like one of that lot. Friends of the Ood," Scooti said in amusement.

"Well maybe I am, yeah," Rose retorted. "Since when do humans need slaves?"

"But the Ood offer themselves," Danny insisted. "If you don't give them orders, they just pine away and die."

"So you're saying they were born to be slaves?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at Danny as Rose talked to one of the Ood.

Danny shrugged. "Basically."

"What about the orbs they carry?"

"Those are translators," Danny explained.

"But they can't have been born with those," I mused.

"I don't know how they got those. They were like that when we got them," Danny said.

I was about to say something else when the Doctor interrupted. "There we go. D'you see? To generate that gravity field, and the funnel, you'd need a power source with an inverted self-extrapolating reflex of six to the power of six every six seconds," he explained.

"That's a lot of sixes," Rose commented and I nodded in agreement.

"No to mention impossible," I added. All those sixes made me nervous. My human family in the other universe had been Christian, so I knew what three sixes together stood for and I didn't like it.

"It took us two years to work that out!" Zach said in surprise.

"I'm very good," The Doctor replied.

"And that's as humble as he gets," I mumbled.

"But... that's why we're here. This power source is ten miles below through solid rock," Ida told us. "Point Zero. We're drilling down to try and find it."

"It's giving off readings of over ninety stats on the Blazen Scale," Zach explained.

"We could revolutionize modern science," Ida said excitedly.

"We could use it to fuel the Empire," Jefferson added.

"Or start a war," I said seriously.

"It's buried beneath us. In the darkness, waiting," Toby said ominously.

"What's your job? Chief... dramatist?" Rose asked. The Doctor and I smirked.

"Well, whatever it is down there is not a natural phenomena," Toby said. "And this, er, planet once supported life. Eons ago, before the human race had even learned to walk."

"We saw that lettering written on the wall. Did you do that?" The Doctor asked Toby.

Toby nodded. "I copied it from fragments we found on earth by the drilling, but I can't translate it."

"No, neither can I," the Doctor sighed.

"And that's saying something," I added.

"There was some form of civilization. They buried something. Now it's reaching out. Calling us in," Toby said.

The Doctor grinned. "And you came."

Ida shrugged. "Well, how could we not?"

"So, when it comes right down to it, why did you come here? Why did you do that? Why? I'll tell you why," the Doctor said, smiling fondly at the humans. "Because it was there. Brilliant. Excuse me, ah, Zach, wasn't it?"

"That's me," Zach replied.

"Just stand there, 'cos I'm gonna hug you. Is that all right?" The Doctor asked. Jefferson stared at the Doctor and I smiled in amusement.

Zach shrugged. "I s'pose so."

The Doctor edged towards Zach. "Here we go. Coming in." He threw his arms around Zach, beaming. I chuckled quietly. "Ahh, human beings, you are amazing! Ha!" Ida stared, bemused as the Doctor hugged Zach. He released Zach. "Thank you."

Zach shrugged again. "Not at all."

"But apart from that, you're completely mad," the Doctor added. "You should pack your bags and get back in that ship and fly for your lives."

"You can talk!" Ida scoffed. "And how the hell did you get here?"

"Oh, I've got this um... this... it's hard to explain, it just sort of... appears," the Doctor stuttered.

"We can show you, we parked down the corridor from um... oh, what's it called?" Rose said. "Uh, habitation area..."

"Three," the Doctor supplied.

Rose nodded. "Three. Three."

"Do you mean storage six?" Zach asked.

I nodded. "Uh, it was a bit of a cupboard, yeah." Zach glanced at Ida uncomfortably. I furrowed my brows in confusion. Then I remembered that Zach had said they had lost storage five to eight and my eyes widened in horror.

"Storage six, but you said..." The Doctor's eyes widened as he also recalled what Zach had said. "You said... you said storage five to eight." He and I shared a horrified look before sprinting out of the control room and back towards the TARDIS.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Rose asked as she ran after us. We were too intent on reaching the TARDIS to answer. We dashed through corridor after corridor, the computer reporting every time we opened and closed a door. The Doctor slammed into the final door and frantically pressed the button to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

" **Door 16 out of commission** ," the computer announced.

"Can't be, can't be!" The Doctor pleaded.

"What's wrong?! What is it?" Rose asked worriedly. The Doctor opened a small round window in the door and looked through it. I peered put the window beside him and gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. "Doctor, the TARDIS is in there. What's happened?"

"The TARDIS is gone," the Doctor said quietly. He backed away from the window, breathing heavily. I looked out the window again, hoping that my eyes were tricking me the first time. The section of the base where the TARDIS had been was completely gone, replaced by a gaping chasm. I tried to keep the tears from falling. I turned to the Doctor, who was standing against the wall. One glance at the horrified look on his face was enough to make the tears fall. I wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my head in his chest as I cried silently. The TARDIS was gone. The only thing the Doctor and I had left from Gallifrey, and she was gone.

" **Door 16 out of commission,** " the computer repeated, causing me to whimper quietly.

"The earthquake. This section collapsed," the Doctor explained, wrapping his arms around me to comfort me as well as himself.

"But it's gotta be out there somewhere," Rose said, puzzled. She peered out the window.

"Look down." She did and gasped when she saw the gaping chasm just outside the door.

"The TARDIS must've fallen down to the heart of the planet."

"What are we going to do?" Rose asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor replied.

I wracked my brain, trying to figure out of their was any way to get our precious ship back. Then it hit me. "Drills," I said, my voice muffled by the Doctor's coat.

"What?" He asked.

I pulled my head away from his chest, still keeping my arms wrapped tightly around him. "They're drilling to the middle of the planet," I clarified, my voice a bit shaky. "We could ask them to divert the drilling to the area where the TARDIS fell."

The Doctor smiled at me. "That could work. You brilliant girl." He kissed my forehead and wiped away my tears with his thumbs. His gaze softened. "You going to be okay?" I nodded. He took my hand and we made our way back to the control room, Rose trailing behind.

"The ground gave way. My TARDIS must've fallen down right into the heart of the planet," the Doctor explained urgently to Zach once we got back to the control room. "But you've got robot drills heading the same way."

"We can't divert the drilling," Zach said.

"But I need my ship," the Doctor insisted. "It's all I've got. Literally the only thing, well aside from Wonder, but still."

"Doctor, we've only got the resources to drill one central shaft down to the power source, and that's it," Zach replied irritably. "No diversions, no distractions, no exceptions. Your machine is lost." My hearts sank, but I wasn't about to give up. He refused the Doctor, but let's see if he can refuse a crying young woman.

"Please," I pleaded, tears welling up in my eyes again at the thought of never seeing the TARDIS again, "we need our ship. She's our home."

Zach's gaze softened slightly and he sighed. "I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do about your ship. All I can do is offer you a lift if we ever get to leave this place, and that... is the end of it." I guess he can refuse a crying young woman. He left the control room and I bit my lip to keep the tears from falling. I would not cry in front of strangers. The Doctor wrapped and arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side. I laid my head on his shoulder. I sighed sadly. What were we going to do now? The TARDIS was our home and nothing would ever come close to replacing her.

Ida approached us. "I'll uh, put you on the duty roster. We need someone in the laundry," she told us awkwardly then followed Zach, leaving the Doctor, Rose, and I alone in the room.

" **Close Door 1,** " the computer announced as Ida left.

The Doctor guided me over to where Rose sat by the control panel. "I've trapped you here," he told her quietly.

Rose shook her head. "No. Don't worry about me." The base shook again and all three of us glance at the roof. "Okay, we're on a planet that shouldn't exist, under a black hole... and no way out." The Doctor caught her eye. "Yeah, I've changed my mind. Start worrying about me," she laughed nervously. The Doctor moved one arm from around me to pull Rose into a hug. I glanced up, glaring darkly at the black hole for stranding us here.

" **Entering night shift. Your chosen track for transition is Ravel's Bolero** ," the computer announced.

The Doctor let go of Rose after a couple minutes. "Come on," he said. "Let's go back to the canteen. I want to take another look at the ancient writing." Rose and I nodded and followed him out of the control room.

Back in the canteen area, the Doctor and I sat on one side of a table, inspecting the ancient script, while Rose sat on the other side.

" **Danny, check the temperature of Ood Habitation. It seems to be rising** ," Zach said over the comms.

"Want to get some food?" Rose asked me.

I was still upset about not being able to get the TARDIS back. I shook my head. "Not hungry." Unfortunately, my stomach chose at that moment to growl in protest.

"I think your stomach disagrees," the Doctor commented, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Come on, a little food wouldn't hurt," Rose insisted gently.

"Fine," I conceded with a sigh. Rose and I stood up and walked over to where the food was being served.

"Help yourself," Scooti offered, picking up her own tray. "Just don't have the green." She thought for a moment. "Or the blue." She laughed and walked off with her food. Rose and I each picked up a tray and went over to where the Ood where serving the food.

"Uh, bit of that, thanks," Rose said.

The Ood ladled some that looked like blue pinto beans onto her and I's trays. "Would you like sauce with that?" He asked.

"I'll have a go, yeah." The Ood shook some sauce onto her tray. Rose smiled at the Ood. "I did that job once. I was a... a dinner lady! Not that I'm calling you a lady," she said quickly. She paused, staring at the Ood. "Although, I dunno, you might be. Do you actually get paid, though? Do they give you money?"

"The Beast and his Armies shall rise from the Pit to make war against God," the Ood said politely.

I froze in shock. "Sorry?" I asked.

The Ood tapped his communication orb. "Apologies. I said, 'I hope you enjoy your meal.'"

"Uh huh." I eyed the Ood suspiciously, before picking up my tray and walking back to the Doctor, Rose following. "Any luck on the translation?" I asked the Doctor, placing my tray on the table and sitting down.

He shook his head with a sigh. "No."

I shrugged nonchalantly, a bit shaken by what the Ood had said. "Ah well." I took a bite of the blue beans, grimacing slightly at the odd taste. I bounced my leg nervously, glancing at the Ood every once in a while. Instead of eating my food, I pushed it around the tray for a while before finally pushing it away.

"You alright?" The Doctor asked, noticing my unease.

I nodded. "I'm fine, the food just tastes a bit funny."

He reached into his inner suit pocket and dug around a bit. "Where did I put it?" He mumbled to himself. I raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Ah ha!" He pulled out a banana, grinning triumphantly. He handed it to me. "There ya go, try that."

I took the banana from him, smiling. Leave it to the Doctor to have a banana in his coat. "Thanks." I peeled it and took a bite.

"Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" He pressed.

"Who says anything is wrong?" I asked after swallowing the piece of banana.

"I've always been able to tell when something was bothering you," he told me softly. That was true. When we were kids, he always knew when I was upset about something. He would ask me what was wrong and, whether I wanted to or not, I always wound up telling him.

I sighed. "It's nothing major, at least not yet. It might not be anything." He raised his eyebrows expectantly. "One of the Ood said something a bit...strange," I told him.

The Doctor stared at me curiously. "What did it say?"

"The Beast and his Armies shall rise from the Pit to make war against God," I repeated. The Doctor furrowed his brows thoughtfully, but before he could comment the lights flickered.

"Zach, have we got a problem?" Ida said into her wrist comm.

" **No more than usual** ," Zach replied. " **Got the Scarlet System burning up, it might be worth a look.** "

"You might wanna see this. Moment in history," Ida told the Doctor, Rose, and I. She pulls a lever, opening the overhead shutters and revealing the black hole. "There. On the edge. That red cloud... that used to be the Scarlet System," she said, pointing to a red cloud spiraling towards the black hole. It was both beautiful and depressing at the same time. "Home to the Peluchi... a mighty civilisation spanning a billion years... disappearing. Forever. Their planets and suns consumed." We all watched as the Scarlet System disappeared into the black hole. I stared up at the black hole sadly. "Ladies and gentlemen... we have witnessed its passing." She moved to pull the lever again.

"Er, no, could you leave it open?" The Doctor asked her. "Just for a bit. I won't go mad, I promise."

"How would you know?" Ida asked.

"Can't go mad if you already are," I pointed out. The Doctor nudged me playfully and I smirked at him.

Ida stares at us for a moment, before conceding. "Scooti, check the lockdown." Scooti nodded and left. I got a bad feeling as I watched her leave, but I didn't know if it was me still feeling paranoid from the Ood or if something was going to happen to her. "Jefferson, sign off the airlock seals for me." Ida and Jefferson left, leaving the Doctor, Rose, and I alone.

"I've seen films and things, yeah, they say black holes are like gateways to another universe," Rose said, staring up at the black hole.

"Not that one. It just eats," the Doctor said.

"Long way from home..."

The Doctor glanced at her. "Go that way, turn right, keep going for um... about five hundred years... then you'll reach the Earth," the Doctor told her, pointing in the general direction on Earth.

Rose pulled her phone out. "No signal. That's the first time we've gone out of range. Mind you, even if I could... what would I tell her...? Can you build another TARDIS?" She laughed half-heartedly.

The Doctor shook his head sadly. "They were grown, not built. And with our own planet gone... we're kind of stuck."

"My family had a whole farm of them," I said wistfully, thinking back to my Gallifreyan days. "I loved spending time tending to the TARDISes." I stared up at the black hole, reminiscing about the days I spent on my family's TARDIS farm. The Doctor placed his hand over mine and squeezed it comfortingly.

"Well, it could be worse," Rose sighed. "This lot said they'd give us a lift."

"And then what?" The Doctor asked.

Rose shrugged. "I dunno... find a planet... get a job... live a life, same as the rest of the universe."

The Doctor made a face. "Pfft... I'd have to settle down. In a house or something, a proper house with... with... with... with doors and things. Carpets! Me! Living in a house!" Rose and I laughed.

"That's a terrifying thought," I giggled.

"You'd have to get a mortgage," Rose said in a sing-song voice.

The Doctor stared at her, horrified at the thought. "...No."

"Oh yes."

"I am dying," the Doctor decided. "That's it. I am dying, it is all over."

"What about Wonder and I? We would have to get one too," Rose told him. He glanced at her.

"Mind you, we would probably need to share one till we had enough money to each get our own," I said, glancing at the black hole thoughtfully. The Doctor glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, but I didn't notice as I grimaced, realizing something. "I would have to get a job."

"What's so bad about getting a job?" Rose asked.

"The paperwork," I said with a shudder.

"Isn't that what the physic paper is for?"

"...True." We sat in silence for a few moments, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

"I promised Jackie I'd always take you back home," the Doctor said quietly, breaking the silence.

"Everyone leaves home in the end," Rose replied.

"Not to end up stuck here," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but stuck with you two, that's not so bad," Rose said casually.

The Doctor and I looked at her. "Yeah?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes," she replied sincerely. We smiled at her. Suddenly, Rose's phone rang.

"I thought you said we were out of range," I said, tilting my head slightly. I had checked my phone earlier only to find that I had no signal.

Rose answered her phone. The Doctor and I shared a confused look. Rose pulled her phone away from her ear and flung the it to the floor in shock. "Rose? What's wrong? Who was that?" The Doctor asked.

"I-I don't know," she stuttered, clearly a bit shaken.

"What did they say?" I asked.

"He is awake," she replied.

The Doctor and I glanced at each other. "I think we need to talk to Danny."

"Why do we need to talk to Danny?" Rose asked in confusion.

"He's head of the Ethics committee," I told her.

"So?"

"So, he's the one looking after the Ood," the Doctor explained. "I think what the Ood said to you two earlier and the call you just got might be connected." He headed out one of the doors, Rose and I at his heels. "We need to find out how the Ood communicate and if they can somehow pick up messages."

"Evening!" The Doctor greeted Danny as we entered the Ood Habitation.

"Only us!" Rose said.

"The mysterious trio," Danny said, glancing up from the computer he was working on. "How are you, then? Settling in?"

"Yeah, sorry, straight to business, the Ood, how do they communicate?" The Doctor asked. "I mean, with each other." I glanced down and saw the Ood sitting on benches in what looked disturbingly like an animal pen.

Danny shrugged. "Oh, just empaths. There's a low level telepathic field connecting them. Not that that does them much good. They're basically a herd race. Like cattle." I ground my teeth in annoyance. While I knew next to nothing about the Ood, I could tell they were nothing like cattle. No race was born simply to serve. The translator ball lent evidence to the possibility that they were _bred_ , not born, to serve.

"This telepathic field, can it pick up messages?"

"It's just that, while Rose and I went to go eat, one of the Ood said something...well, odd," I said, unsure how else to describe what the Ood had told us.

"Oh. An odd Ood," Danny said, raising his brows in an uninterested manner. I frowned at him.

"And then I got something else on my er..." Rose started, glancing at the Doctor, "communicator thing."

"Oh, be fair. We've got whole star systems burning up around us," Danny replied. "There's all sorts of stray transmissions. Probably nothing." All three of us stared at him, unconvinced. Danny sighed. "Look... if there was something wrong, it would show. We monitor the telepathic field. It's the only way to look after them. They're so stupid, they don't even tell us when they're ill." I shot him a glare, but said nothing.

"Monitor the field, that's this thing?" The Doctor asked, nodding to the computer Danny had been working on. The screen said 'Basic 5'.

Danny nodded. "Yeah. But like I said, it's low level telepathy. They only register Basic 5."

As soon as he said that, the reading rose to Basic 6. "Well, that's not Basic 5," I mumbled. The reading continued to rise. "10...20... " I turned to Danny. "They've gone up to Basic 30."

"But they can't..." Danny said, furrowing his brows and coming over to check the readings.

"Doctor, Wonder, the Ood..." Rose said quietly. The Ood turned, as one, and looked up at us. "What does Basic 30 mean?" Rose asked Danny.

"Well, it means that they're shouting, screaming inside their heads," Danny replied, completely baffled.

"Or something's shouting at them..." The Doctor added quietly.

"But... where's it coming from? What is it saying? I mean..." Danny turned to Rose and I. "What did it say to you?"

"Something about the beast in the pit," Rose supplied.

Danny blinked. "What about your communicator? What did that say?"

Rose paused for a moment before answering. "He is awake."

"And you will worship him," the Ood said together.

"What the heck?" Danny gasped.

"He is awake," the Doctor said.

"And you will worship him," the Ood repeated. I shuddered involuntarily. That was really creepy.

"Worship who?" The Doctor asked, but the Ood remained silent. "Who's talking to you? Who is it?" Once again, the Ood didn't reply. The Doctor climbed down the stairs leading into the Ood pen, Rose and I following behind. We started inspecting a couple of the Ood when the entire base shook, knocking the Doctor, Rose, and I to the ground.

" **Emergency hull breach. Emergency hull breach** ," the computer announced.

"Which section?" Danny yelled into his communicator.

" **Everyone... evacuate 11 to 13, we've got a breach!** " Zach said over the comms. " **The base is open. Repeat: the base is open.** " The Doctor, Rose, and I bolted for the stairs, clinging tightly to the railing to keep from falling as the base continued to shake violently. We ran back to the canteen area, Danny at our heels. " **I can't contain the oxygen field, we're gonna lose it!** " Zach yelled. We ran into one corridor and spotted Jefferson helping some crew members through the door on the other side.

"And you too, Toby!" Jefferson yelled, yanking Toby through the door before closing it. Toby collapsed to the floor.

" **Breach sealed. Breach sealed** ," the computer announced.

The Doctor dashed over to the other group. "Everyone all right?! What happened? What was it?"

" **Oxygen levels normal.** "

"Hull breach! We were open to the elements," Jefferson panted. "A couple of minutes and we'd have been inspecting that black hole at close quarters." Rose went over and crouched next to Toby, who was still sitting on the floor, panting and shaking.

"That wasn't a quake. What caused it?" I inquired.

" **We've lost sections 11 to 13. Everyone all right?** " Zach asked.

"We've got everyone here except Scooti," Jefferson replied into his wrist comm. "Scooti, report." Nothing but static came from the device. "Scooti Manista? That's an order. Report." Once again, nothing but static. I got a sinking feeling in my stomach.

" **She's all right,** " Zach assured us and Jefferson and Ida breathed a sigh of relief. " **I picked up her bio chip, she's in Habitation 3. Better go and check if she's not responding, she might be unconscious.** " I noticed Toby inspecting his shaking hands and sent him a sympathetic look. " **How about that, eh? We survived.** "

"Habitation 3... come on, I don't often say this, but I think we could all do with a drink. Come on," Jefferson said. Everyone but Toby, Rose, the Doctor, and I followed Jefferson down the corridor.

The Doctor crouched down in front of Toby, who still looked severely shaken. "What happened?"

"I don't-I dunno, I-I was working and then I can't remember. All-all that noise, the room was falling apart, there was no air." Toby stuttered.

Rose pulled Toby to his feet. "Come on. Up you get. Come and have some Protein One." She linked her arm with his and strolled down the corridor after the others.

"Oh, you've gone native," I noted.

"Oi, don't knock it," Rose scolded. "It's nice. Protein One with just a," she clicked her tongue, "dash of Three." The Doctor and I shared an amused look as we followed her.

"Have you seen Scooti?" Jefferson asked as we entered the canteen area.

"No, no, no, I don't think so," Toby said, still a bit shaken.

"Scooti, please respond, if you can hear this please respo... Habitation 6," Ida said urgently into her wrist comm.

"Nowhere here. Zach? We've got a problem. Scooti's still missing," Jefferson said.

" **It says Habitation 3** ," Zach insisted.

"Yeah, well that's where I am, and I'm telling you she's not there," Jefferson snapped. I glanced up through the overhead window and gasped. The Doctor heard me and glanced at me. He followed my gaze.

"I've found her," he said sadly. Everyone looked up.

"Oh, my gosh," Rose gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. Scooti's body was floating just outside the window.

"Sorry. I'm so sorry," the Doctor said softly. I turned around and buried my head in the Doctor's chest and he wrapped his arms around me. I should have listened to that bad feeling from earlier.

"Captain... report Officer Scootori Manista PKD... deceased. 43K2.1," Jefferson told Zach quietly.

"She was twenty... twenty years old," Ida said, sounding close to tears. She went over and pulled the lever to close the shutters.

"For how should Man die better than facing fearful odds? For the ashes of his father... and the temples of his Gods," Jefferson whispered.

"It's stopped..." Ida said. There was a distant crash and I pulled away from the Doctor slightly to listen.

"What was that? What was it?" Rose asked.

"The drill," the Doctor replied.

"We've stopped drilling," Ida said. "We've made it. Point Zero."

"Come on, everyone," Jefferson said. "Let's go find out what's down there."

" **All non-essential Oods to be confined** ," Zach order over the comms as everyone bustled about, preparing to go down the mineshaft. Rose and I stood off to the side, making sure to stay out of the way.

"Capsule established," Ida shouted, dressed in an orange spacesuit. "All systems functioning... the mineshaft is go... bring systems online now."

The Doctor entered, now dressed in his own bright orange spacesuit. "Reporting as a volunteer for the expeditionary force," he announced as he approached Zach.

"Doctor, this is breaking every single protocol. We don't even know who you are," Zach said.

"Yeah, but you trust me, don't you?" The Doctor replied. "And you can't let Ida go down there on her own. Go on... look me in the eye... yes you do, I can see it. Trust."

"I should be going down."

The Doctor shook his head. "The Captain doesn't lead the mission. He stays here. In charge."

"Not much good at it, am I?" Zach said bitterly. The Doctor simply looked at him and Zach sighed. He turned away. "Positions! We're going down in two. Everyone, positions! Mr Jefferson! I want maximum systems..." Rose and I approached the Doctor.

"Oxygen... nitro-balance... gravity," he said, checking a device on his wrist. "It's ages since I wore one of these!"

I grabbed the front of his spacesuit and tugged him down for a kiss. He responded eagerly, wrapping the arm that wasn't holding his helmet around me. I pulled back and looked up at him. "You better come back," I told him sternly. "We've already lost the TARDIS, I'm not loosing you." I wasn't happy when he told me he was going to volunteer to go down into the mineshaft. I tried to talk him out of it, but he had insisted. I had eventually reluctantly conceded, knowing that once he had made up his mind, nothing would be able to change it.

He nodded. "I promise." He turned to Rose.

"I want that spacesuit back in one piece, you got that?" Rose told him jokingly.

"Yes, sir," he replied, grinning cheekily. He put his helmet on.

"It's funny, 'cos people back home think that space travel's gonna be all whizzing about and teleports and anti-gravity... but it's not, is it?" Rose said, her voice breaking slightly.

"It's tough."

"I'll see you two later," the Doctor said confidently.

"Not if we see you first," Rose laughed softly. She gave him a quick hug.

"Please be careful," I told him.

"Aren't I always?" He asked.

I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms. "Do you want the short or long version?"

"Alright, alright," he sighed, causing me to smile slightly. I was very worried about the Doctor going town the shaft. I still hadn't quite figured out how my visions worked. Based on the last couple I had gotten, I seemed to get them right before something was about to happen. If I got a vision while he was down there, I was in no position to help.

" **Capsule active,** " Zach said over the comms from back in the control room. " **Counting down in 10... 9...8... 7... 6...** " The Doctor and Ida climbed into the capsule and Jefferson closed the door behind them. " **5... 4... 3... 2...1...** " Rose and I waved at the Doctor and he returned it with a smile. " **Release**." The capsule began to descend into the shaft. My hearts pounded as I watched the Doctor disappear. I moved over to watch the computer screen showing the capsules descent. A warning popped up on the screen. " **Gone beyond the oxygen field. You're on your own,** " Zach told the Doctor and Ida.

"Don't forget to breath. Breathing's good," Rose said into the comms, demonstrating taking deep breaths.

" **Rose, stay off the comm** ," Zach ordered.

"Fat chance," she replied. When the capsule reached Point Zero, it caused the whole base to shake, knocking everyone off balance.

"Doctor?" I said urgently into the comms. There was no reply. "Doctor, are you all right?"

" **Ida, report to me...** " Zach ordered. Still no reply. " **Doctor?** "

" **It's all right...** " The Doctor finally announced, " **we've made it... coming out of the capsule now.** " I breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Don't do that!" I scolded him.

" **Sorry**."

"What's it like down there?" Rose asked curiously.

" **It's hard to tell... some sort of... cave... cavern... it's massive** ," the Doctor replied.

" **Well, this should help,** " Ida said. " **Gravity globe.** " There was a moment of silent. " **That's... that's... my gosh, that's beautiful,** " she gasped.

" **Rose... you can tell Toby... we've found his civilization...** " The Doctor said, an air of awe in his voice.

"Oi, Toby, sounds like you've got plenty of work," Rose told him cheerfully. I glanced at Toby, who was huddled off to the side.

"Good, good. Good," he replied, not sounding very enthusiastic.

"You alright?" I asked him.

"Fine," he said, shaking slightly. I eyed him, not convinced, but decided to leave the matter be.

" **Concentrate now, people. Keep on the mission,** " Zach reminded us. " **Ida... what about the power source?** "

" **We're close** ," Ida answered. " **Energy signature indicates north, north west. Are you getting pictures up there?** "

" **There's too much interference. We're in your hands,** " Zach said.

" **Well... we've come this far. There's no turning back.** "

" **Oh, did you have to? No turning back?** " The Doctor complained. " **That's almost as bad as 'nothing can possible go wrong' or 'this is is gonna be the best Christmas Walford's ever had'...** "

"Or 'things can't get any worse'," I added. "I mean, seriously. You think people would learn not to say that. Things always get worse if you say that."

" **Are you finished?** " Ida asked

" **Yeah! Finished,** " the Doctor replied.

" **Captain, sir. There's something happening with the Ood,"** Danny reported, sounding a bit nervous. I perked up, listening intently.

" **What are they doing?** " Zach asked.

" **They're staring at me. I've told them to stop, but they won't,** " Danny replied quietly.

" **Danny, you're a big boy. I think you can take being stared at** ," Zach retorted.

" **But the telepathic field, sir. It's at Basic 100! I've checked, there isn't any fault. It's definitely 100,** " Danny insisted.

 _'Well, that can't be good,_ ' I thought. Basic 30 was bad enough and the fact that the telepathic field was now at Basic 100 was not a good sign.

" **But that's impossible,** " Zach said.

"What's Basic 100 mean?" Rose asked apprehensively.

" **They should be dead** ," Danny answered.

"Basic 100's brain death," Jefferson explained.

" **But they're safe? They're not actually moving?** " Zach asked.

" **No, sir,** " Danny replied.

" **Keep watching them. And you, Jefferson, keep a guard on the Ood,** " Zach ordered.

"Officer at arms!" Jefferson shouted.

"Yes, sir," another crew member said.

"You can't fire a gun in here. What if they hit a wall?" Rose asked in concern.

"I'm firing stock 15, only packs upon organics." Jefferson turned to the guard. "Keep watch. Guard them," he ordered, indicating the Ood standing behind us.

"Yes, sir."

" **Is everything all right up there?** " The Doctor asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Rose said quickly.

" **It's fine,** " Zach added.

" **Great!** " Danny replied sarcastically.

' _Yeah, that sounded totally convincing, guys,_ ' I thought sarcastically.

" **We've found something,** " the Doctor reported. " **It looks like metal. Like some sort of seal. I've got a nasty feeling the word might be 'trapdoor'. Not a good word, 'trapdoor'. Never met a trapdoor I liked.** "

"I don't think anyone likes trapdoors, sweetheart," I informed him.

" **The edge is covered with those symbols** ," Ida announced.

" **Do you think it opens?** " Zach asked.

" **That's what trapdoors tend to do,** " the Doctor replied.

"Usually when you least expect it," I added.

" **'Trapdoor' doesn't do it justice. It's massive, Zach. About thirty feet in diameter** ," Ida said.

" **Any way of opening it?** " Zach inquired.

" **I don't know. I can't see any sort of mechanism.** "

" **I suppose that's the writing, that'll tell us what to do** ," the Doctor said. " **The letters that defy translation.** "

"Those letters give me a bad feeling," I muttered. The TARDIS translated every language except Gallifreyan. It wasn't a good sign that she couldn't translate those peculiar symbols.

" **Toby, did you get anywhere with decoding it?** " Zach questioned.

Rose looked over at Toby. "Toby, they need to know, that lettering, does it make any sort of sense?"

Toby sat with his head in his arms. "I know what it says," he replied.

"Then tell them," Rose said.

"When did you work that out?" Jefferson wondered.

"It doesn't matter, just tell them," Rose snapped.

Toby stood and turned to face us. I gasped in shock. His entire body was covered in the ancient writing and his eyes were now red. " _These are the words of the Beast,_ " he said, though it wasn't his voice. The voice was much deeper. " _And he has woken._ " Jefferson aimed his gun at Toby. " _He is the heart that beats in the darkness, he is the blood that will never cease. And now he will rise._ "

"Officer, stand down. Stand down," Jefferson ordered.

" **What is it? What's he done?** " The Doctor asked urgently. " **What's happening? Wonder? Rose? What's going on?** " Unfortunately, we were all to shocked to answer.

" **Jefferson? Report. Report!** " Zach ordered.

Toby flexed his arms. "Officer, as commander of security, I order you to stand down and be confined. Immediately!" Jefferson yelled.

"Doctor, he's covered in those symbols and his eyes have gone red," I told him, not taking my eyes off Toby.

Toby tilted his head slightly, considering us. " _Mr Jefferson, tell me, sir... did your wife ever forgive you?_ "

"I don't know what you mean," Jefferson dismissed.

" _Let me tell you a secret: she never did._ "

Jefferson swallowed nervously. "Officer... you stand down and be confined."

" _Or what?_ " Toby challenged.

"Or under the jurisdiction of Condition Red, I am authorized to shoot you," Jefferson replied, cocking his gun.

Toby grinned evilly. " _But how many can you kill?_ " His eyes glowed and he opened his mouth in a low roar. The symbols evaporated from his body in black smoke before entering the Ood. Each Ood jerked as they were possessed. Toby, now clear of the symbols, coughed and collapsed.

" _We are the Legion of the Beast,_ " the Ood declared together. I stared at them in terror.

" **Wonder? Rose? What is it? Wonder? Rose?** " The Doctor shouted.

" **Report. Report! Jefferson, report! Someone, report!** " Zach yelled in frustration.

" _The Legion shall be many. And the Legion shall be few..._ " The Ood continued.

"It's the Ood," I told the Doctor.

"Sir, we have a contamination in the livestock," Jefferson informed Zach.

"Doctor, they've been possessed."

"They won't listen to us," Jefferson continued.

" _He has woven himself in the fabric of your life since the dawn of time. Some may call him Abaddon. Some may call him Kroptor. Some may call him Satan...Or Lucifer..._ " The Ood continued.

"Captain, it's the Ood. They're out of control!" Danny reported.

" _Or the Bringer of Despair...The Deathless Prince. The Bringer of Night. These are the words that shall set him free._ "

We backed away from the Ood as they advanced, holding their translator orbs threateningly. "Back up to the door!" Jefferson shouted.

" _I shall become manifest._ "

"Move quickly!"

" _I shall walk in might._ "

"To the door!" We backed up against the door. "Get it open!"

" _My Legions shall swarm across the worlds..._ "

The entire base began to shake violently. " **We're moving! The whole thing's moving! The planet's moving!** " Zach shouted over the comms.

" _I am the sin and the temptation. And the desire. I am the pain and the loss and the dead will come,_ " the Ood continued.

"Get that door open!" Jefferson yelled, still pointing his gun at the Ood.

"We're trying!" I snapped, as Rose and I struggled to open the door.

" **The gravity field... it's going! We're losing orbit! We're gonna fall into the black hole!** " Zach shouted frantically.

" _I have been imprisoned for eternity. But no more,_ " the Ood said, paying no kind to the gun Jefferson had pointed at them.

" **Door sealed** ," the computer announced as Rose and I tried to open it.

"Come on!" Rose shouted at it, but it refused to budge.

" **Door sealed.** "

" _The Pit is open. And I am free._ " I pressed myself against the door, trembling as the Ood advanced.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Please review. Note: the first chapter I'm updating is "Rose." I will gone in order from there. Till next time!**


	25. The Satan Pit

**Hello readers! I'm so sorry about the delay. I've been caught up in my school work and haven't been able to write or review chapters. I'm very excited about the next chapter though. I'm doing Love and Monsters, but it will be mostly original content. Anyway, on with the chapter! I own nothing but my oc.**

* * *

The Ood continued to advance towards us. "Open fire!" Jefferson yelled. He and the guard fired at the Ood while Rose and I hid behind them.

" **We're stabilizing...We've got orbit** ," Zach announced as the shaking lessened slightly.

I came out from behind Jefferson, stepped over the dead Ood, and ran over to the comms again. "Doctor?" I asked urgently. I only received static in reply. Rose came to stand beside me. "Doctor, can you hear me? Doctor?" I asked more frantically. "Ida? Are you there?" Since I wasn't getting any answer over the comms I decided to try another tactic. ' _Doctor! Answer me, please!_ ' I yelled at him in mentally. Still no answer. I could feel some sort of presence in my mind, a presence that shouldn't be there. Time Lords are able to tell when there is another nearby, but this presence was preventing me from connecting with the Doctor's mind. I sighed in frustration. Why hadn't I gotten a vision about this? Course I don't know what I would have done if I had.

" **Open Door 25** ," the computer announced. Jefferson and the guard spun round, guns raised.

"It's me!" Danny shouted as he came in. "But they're coming."

" **Close Door 25.** "

"It's the Ood. They've gone mad," Danny said frantically.

"How many of them?" Jefferson asked.

"All of them! All fifty!"

Jefferson approached the door. "Danny, out of the way." Danny didn't move. "Out of the way!" He said more forcefully, shoving Danny out of the way.

"But they're armed!" Danny protested. "They're da-" Jefferson ignored him and started to open the door. "It's the interface device. I don't know how, but they're using it as a weapon."

" **Open door 25.** " Jefferson opened the door, revealing more Ood standing on the other side. One of them stepped forward and pressed his communication orb to the guard's forehead. She screamed as she was electrocuted and slumped to the floor, dead. I stared in horror as Jefferson open fired.

" **Jefferson, what's happening, there?** " Zach asked.

"I've got very little ammunition, sir," Jefferson said into his wrist comm. "How about you?"

" **All I've got is a bolt gun. With uh...all of one bolt. I could take out a grand total of one Ood. Fat lot of good that is** ," Zach said bitterly.

"Given the emergency...I recommend Strategy Nine," Jefferson suggested.

" **Strategy Nine agreed** ," Zach replied. " **Right, we need to get everyone together. Rose? Wonder? What about Ida and the Doctor? Any word?** "

I shook my head helplessly. "Neither one of them are answering. I keep trying, but it's-" I was cut off by the communication device crackling.

" **No! Sorry, I'm fine. Still here!** " The Doctor announced.

Rose and I breathed a sigh of relief. Rose grabbed the comm from me. "You could've said, you stupid b-" The communication device screeched loudly, cutting off her insult.

" **Whoa! Careful! Anyway, it's both of us, me and Ida. Hello!** " The Doctor said cheerfully. " **But the seal opened up. It's gone. All we've got left is this chasm.** "

" **How deep is it?** " Zach inquired.

" **Can't tell. It looks like it goes on forever.** "

"The pit is open," I recalled. "That's what the voice said."

" **But there's nothing? I mean...There's... nothing coming out?** " Zach asked apprehensively.

" **No, no. No sign of 'the Beast'** ," the Doctor replied.

"It said 'Satan'," Rose said, her voice shaking slightly with fear.

" **Come on, Rose. Keep it together.** "

"Is there no such thing?" Rose asked nervously, but he didn't answer. "Doctor? Doctor, tell me there's no such thing." I was getting really tired of him not answering. I placed a comforting hand on Rose's shoulder.

" **Ida? I recommend that you withdraw. Immediately** ," Zach said firmly.

" **But... we've come all this way!** " Ida protested.

" **Okay, that was an order. With-Draw** ," Zach ordered. " **With that thing open, the whole planet's shifted. One more inch and we fall into the black hole. So this thing stops right now.** "

" **But it's not much better up there with the Ood.** "

" **I'm initiating Strategy Nine, so I need the two of you back up top immediately, no ar-** " Zach was cut off as static filled the comms. " **Ida? IDA?!** " I growled in frustration. With the comms off and the Doctor and I unable to communicate mentally, we had no way of knowing what was going on down there. Ida was right, though, it wasn't much better up here. My hearts were already beating abnormally fast due to my nervousness, preparing my body for the fight-or-flight response.

" **Wonder, Rose, we're coming back** ," the Doctor announced, opening the comms again.

"Best news I've heard all day!" Rose said happily.

"Good," I added firmly yet relieved. "Now hurry up and get your Time Lord butt up here before I have a hearts attack from worry."

" **Yes, ma'am,** " he replied, a slight air of amusement in his voice. Jefferson looked down at Toby and released the safety on his gun.

"What're you doing?" I asked him, though I could guess what he was planning. Humans could be so predictable sometimes.

"He's infected," he said, aiming his gun at Toby. "He brought that thing on board. You saw it." Toby's eyes widened in shock and he backed against the wall, cowering in the floor.

"Are you gonna start shooting your own people, now?" Rose snapped. "Is that what you're gonna do? Is it?"

Jefferson stared hard at Toby, finger on the trigger. "If necessary."

"Do you see any evidence of him being infected now?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't like people that kill, especially when those they kill are unarmed and defenseless." Jefferson glanced at me. "You saw whatever it was that possessed him pass into the Ood, same as the rest of us." I approached Jefferson. "If you shoot him now, you will have me to answer to." I placed my hand on his gun. "Put it down." He did so reluctantly.

"Any sign of trouble... I'll shoot him," Jefferson warned before walking off.

Rose kneeled next to Toby. "Are you all right?" She asked him, brow furrowed in concern.

Toby was trembling and looked close to tears. 'Yeah... I..." He shook his head helplessly. "Dunno."

"Can you remember anything?"

"Just... it was so angry. It was... fury and rage... death..." He glanced at Rose. "It was him. It was the devil."

"Come here," Rose said. She pulled Toby into a comforting hug. Toby clung to her, his eyes still wide with horror. I eyed Toby warily. While I had seen whatever had possessed him move to the Ood, I wasn't entirely convinced it had left him completely. It didn't seem likely that it would have relinquished him so willingly. Most likely, it was lying dormant in his mind, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. However, I wasn't willing to let Jefferson kill him without any proof that he was still possessed. I opted to keep an eye on him. I walked back over to the comms where Danny and Jefferson stood waiting for Ida and the Doctor to contact again.

" **Okay, we're in. Bring us up** ," Ida said. Rose and I smiled at each other in anticipation of seeing the Doctor again.

"Ascension in...Three... two... one," Jefferson said. Suddenly, all the light cut out.

" _ **This is the Darkness. This is my domain,**_ " the Beast declared. A picture appeared on the screen by the comms, revealing several Ood standing together. " _ **You little things that live in the light... clinging to your feeble Suns...which die in the...**_ "

" **That's not the Ood. Something's talking through them** ," Zach said.

' _I thought we established that earlier,_ ' I thought.

" _ **Only the Darkness remains,**_ " the Beast finished.

" **This is Captain Zachary Cross Flane of Sanctuary Base Six representing the Torchwood archive. You will identify yourself** ," Zach ordered.

" _ **You know my name.**_ "

" **What do you want?** "

" _ **You will die here. All of you. This planet is your grave,**_ " the Beast declared.

"It's him. It's him. It's him..." Toby repeated over and over, trembling.

" **If you are the Beast, then answer me this: which one? Hmm?** " The Doctor asked. " **'Cos the universe has been busy since you've been gone. There's more religions than there are planets in the sky. The Archivits... Pordonity, Christianity... Pash-Pash, New Judaism... Sanclar... Church of the Tin Vagabond, which devil are you?** "

" _ **All of them,**_ " the Beast replied.

" **What, then you're the truth behind the myth?** "

" _ **This one knows me, as I know him. The killer of his own kind.**_ " I clenched my fists. I wish people would stop bringing that up.

" **How did you end up on this rock?** " The Doctor asked, choosing to ignore that bit of information.

" _ **The disciples of the Light rose up against me. And chained me in the pit for all eternity.**_ "

" **When was this?** "

" _ **Before time**_ ," the Beast answered.

" **What does that mean?!** " The Doctor asked.

" _ **Before time,**_ " the Beast repeated.

" **What does 'before time' mean?** "

" _ **Before light and time and space and matter. Before the cataclysm. Before this universe was created,**_ " the Beast said.

" **That's impossible. No life could have existed back then,** " the Doctor scoffed.

" _ **Is that your religion?**_ " The Beast asked him.

" **It's a belief.** "

" _ **You know nothing. All of you. So small. The Captain, so scared of command,**_ " the Beast said and I knew he was talking about Zach. " _ **The soldier, haunted by the eyes of his wife.**_ " I glanced at Jefferson. " _ **The scientist, still running from daddy. The little boy who lied...**_ " Danny shifted uncomfortably. " _ **The virgin...**_ " Toby looked up. " _ **The lonely Lady of Time, who spent her life waiting for the killer of their kind to take her away.**_ " My hearts skipped a beat. " _ **And the lost girl, so far away from home. The valiant child who will die in battle so very soon.**_ " I glanced at Rose who looked terrified.

"Doctor, what does it mean?" Rose asked, her voice shaking.

" **Rose, don't listen** ," the Doctor said quietly.

"What does it mean?"

" _ **You will die... and I will live,**_ " the Beast declared. The footage of the Ood cut out and was replaced by a roaring horned beast. We all jumped back, staring at the screen in horror.

"What the heck was that?" Danny asked, his voice trembling with fear. Suddenly everyone started speaking at once frantically.

"I had that thing inside my head," Toby whimpered.

"Doctor, what did it mean?" Rose asked, her voice rising.

"What do we do? Jefferson?" Danny asked.

"Captain? What's the situation on Strategy Nine?" Jefferson asked.

"Zach, what do we do?"

"What if I can fix it? ... the black hole, everything's true."

"Captain, report."

" **We've lost pictures-** " Zach said.

"Doctor, how did it know all of-"

" **Did anyone get-** " Ida pipped up.

" **Jefferson?** "

" **Stop-** " the Doctor tried, but nobody listened.

"What did it mean?"

" **Everyone just stop-** "

"Guys, please, we need to calm down," I tried, but had as much success as the Doctor.

"What do we do?"

"Report."

The comms suddenly screeched loudly causing me to cover my sensitive ears. Everyone stopped talking. " **If you want voices in the dark, then listen to mine; that thing is playing on very basic fears,** " the Doctor said. " **Darkness, childhood nightmares, all that stuff.** "

"But that's how the devil works," Danny exclaimed.

"Or a good psychologist," I pointed out. I may have appeared calm, but I was scared. That creature, "the Beast", knew things there was no possible way for it to know. It terrified me that it had the ability to get into our heads and confront us with our fears.

" **But... how did it know about my father?** " Ida asked.

"...Okay, but what makes his version of the truth any better than mine? Hmm?" the Doctor asked. "Cos I'll tell you what I can see: humans. Brilliant humans. Humans who travel all the way across space. Flying in a tiny little rocket into the orbit of a black hole! Just for the sake of discovery, that's amazing! Do you hear me? Amazing. All of you." Despite our dismal situation, I smiled as the Doctor attempted to encourage us. "The captain, his officer, his elder, his genius, his friends. All with one advantage. The Beast is alone. We are not. If we can use that to fight against him-"

 _Bang!_

I snapped my head around for the source of the noise. I stared in horror as I watched the remainder of the cable snap. " **The cable's snapped!** " Ida yelled

" **Get out!** " The Doctor shouted.

There was another bang and dust blew up the shaft. "Doctor!" I shouted into the comms. "We lost the cable! Doctor, are you all right?" There was no reply "Doctor?!"

" **Comms are down** ," Zach informed us.

"Doctor? Doctor, can you hear me?" I called desperately, my hearts pounding and breathing quickening as I started panicking. "Please answer me!" Still no reply.

" **I've still got life signs, but... we've lost the capsule.** "

"Say something, are you there?" I tried once again to sense the Doctor in my mind, but the presence was still blocking me. I figured the Beast had something to do with that.

" **There's no way out,** " Zach said solemnly. " **They're stuck down there.** " I growled and kicked the machine in frustration, which did nothing but give me a sore foot. I closed my eyes, concentrating on calming down. So we were stuck up here with possessed Ood, the Doctor and I couldn't communicate with each other, and on top of that, I wasn't getting any sort of visions to help me figure out what to do.

Rose, Danny, Jefferson, and I walked over and peered down the dark shaft. "But we've got to bring them back," Rose pleaded.

"They're ten miles down. We haven't got another ten miles of cable," Jefferson replied. Another loud bang made us all jump. "Captain? Situation report."

" **It's the Ood** ," Zach sighed. " **They're cutting through the door bolts. They're breaking in.** "

"Yeah, it's the same on Door 25."

"How long's it gonna take?" I asked.

"Well, it's only a basic frame, it should take ten minutes," Jefferson answered. Another bang. "Eight."

" **I've got a security frame, it might last a bit longer, but that doesn't help you** ," Zach said.

"Right. So we need to stop them, or get out, or both," Rose concluded.

"I'll take both, yeah? But how?" Danny asked.

"You heard the Doctor," I said. "Why do you think that thing cut him off? 'Cos he was making sense. He was telling you to think your way out of this. Come on! For a start, we need some lights. There's gotta be some sort of power somewhere."

" **There's nothing I can do. Some captain, stuck in here, pressing buttons** ," Zach said bitterly.

I smiled slightly, despite our seemingly hopeless situation. "That's what the Doctor meant: press the right buttons."

" **They've gutted the generators!** " Zach paused for a moment. " **But the rocket's got an independent supply,** " he realized. " **If I could reroute that...Mr. Jefferson? Open the bypass conduits. Override the safety...** "

Jefferson went over to the wall and pressed a few buttons. "Opening bypass conduits, sir."

" **Channeling rocket feed. In 3...2...1... power.** " All the lights came back on.

"There we go," Rose said, grinning and clapping.

"Let there be light!" Danny exclaimed.

"What about that Strategy Nine thing?" Rose inquired.

Jefferson shook his head. "Not enough power. It needs a hundred percent."

I thought for a moment. "All right, we need a way out. Zach, Mr Jefferson, you start working on that." I walked over to Toby. "Toby, what about you?"

Toby got to his feet. "I'm not a soldier. I can't do anything," he snapped.

I shook my head. "No, you're the archaeologist. What do you know about the pit?"

"Well, n-n-nothing. We can't even translate the language," he replied helplessly.

"Right," I sighed. I went to turn away, but Toby stopped me.

"H-hold on. Maybe."

I raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Since that thing was inside my head, it's like the letters made more sense," he explained.

I nodded. "Alright, get to work. Anything you can translate, just... anything." He nodded and walked off. I went over to Danny. "As for you, Danny-boy, you're in charge of the Ood, any way of stopping them?"

"Well... I don't know," he replied, raising his hands helplessly.

I shoved him towards the computer. "Then find out. The sooner we get control of the base, the sooner we can get the Doctor and Ida out. Move." I went over and look down the seemingly never-ending shaft. I sighed. ' _Doctor, I hope you're okay._ ' I was really worried about him, but I knew that he would somehow find a way to get back. He _had_ to.

I went back over to Jefferson, who was working at the computer. "Open junctions five... six... seven..." He said. Another bang sounded at the door. "Reroute filters sixteen to twenty-four. Go."

"There's all sorts of viruses that could stop the Ood," Danny informed us. "Trouble is, we haven't got them on board."

"Well, that's handy, listing all the things we haven't got," I bit out sarcastically. "We haven't got a swimming pool either." Danny rolled his eyes at me.

We both looked at the screen when the computer beeped. The word 'affirmative' was flashing on the screen. "Oh my gosh. It says yes! I can do it!" Danny said excitedly. "Hypothetically, if you flip the monitor, broadcast a flare... it can disrupt the telepathy! Brainstorm!"

"What happens to the Ood?" I asked, though I had pretty sure I knew the answer.

"It'll tank them, spark out!" Danny explained.

I nodded reluctantly. "Right, as much as I hate to kill living creatures, we don't have any choice. Do it."

Danny frowned. "No, but..." He shook his head with a sigh. "I'd have to transmit from the central monitor. We need to go to Ood Habitation." There was another bang, causing sparks to fly.

I glanced at the door. "That's what we'll do, then," I said determinedly. "Mr Jefferson, sir! Any way out?"

"Just about... there's a network of maintenance tunnels running underneath the base," he explained. "We should be able to gain access from here."

Rose smiled. "Ventilation shafts."

"Yeah, I appreciate the reference, but there's no ventilation. No air, in fact, at all," Jefferson corrected. "They were designed for machines, not life forms."

" **But, I can manipulate the oxygen field from here,** " Zach informed us. " **Create discrete pockets of atmosphere... if I control it manually... I can follow you through the network.** "

I nodded in understanding. "Right, so we go down, and you make the air follow us. By hand."

" **You wanted me pressing buttons,** " Zach pointed out.

I chuckled lightly. "Yeah, I asked for it, okay, we need to get to Ood Habitation, work out a route."

Another loud bang sounded from the door as Rose, Jefferson, Toby and I got ready to enter the maintenance tunnels. Danny was still working on the computer. "Danny!" I shouted, beckoning him over.

"Hold on! Just conforming..." He replied.

"Dan, you gotta go now!" Jefferson urged. Another bang. "Come on!"

"Yeah!" Danny exclaimed happily as the computer beeped. He grabbed an orange computer chip from the machine and ran over, waving the chip excitedly. "Put that in the monitor... and it's a bad time to be an Ood!"

"We're coming back," I said firmly, leaving no room for argument. "Have you got that? We're coming back to this room and we're getting the Doctor out."

"Okay, Danny, you go first, then you Miss Tyler, then Miss Wonder, then Toby, I'll go last in defense of position," Jefferson announced. "Now come on! Quick as you can!" We all lowered ourselves into the tunnels in the order Jefferson had specified.

"Gosh, it stinks," Rose complained as she landed next to Danny. "You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm laughing," Danny grumbled as first me then Toby dropped into the tunnels. "Which way do we go?" Danny asked Zach.

" **Just go straight ahead. Keep going 'til I say so,** " he answered. Jefferson dropped into the tunnels and we began crawling hastily down the tunnels.

"Not your best angle, Danny," Rose complained, staring at Danny's bum.

"Oi! Stop it!" Danny snapped.

"I dunno, it could be worse," Toby commented from behind me.

I glanced behind me to catch him staring at my bum. "Oi!" I cried indignantly. "Eyes north of the equator, soldier."

"I told you, I'm not a soldier," Toby grumbled. "I'm an archeologist."

" **Straight along until you find junction 7.1. Keep breathing. I'm feeding you air. I've got you,** " Zach assured us.

We reached a closed of section and sat down, everyone but me breathing heavily. Thank you respiratory bypass system! "We're at 7.1, sir," Danny said into his wrist comm.

" **Okay, I've got you...I'm just aerating the next section.** "

"Getting kinda cramped, sir... can't you hurry up?" Danny complained.

" **I'm working on half power, here** ," Zach pointed out.

"Stop complaining," Jefferson snapped.

"Mr Jefferson says: stop complaining," Rose told Danny.

Danny rolled his eyes. "I heard."

Rose turned to Jefferson. "He heard."

"But the air's getting a bit thin," Toby complained to Zach.

"He's complaining now," Rose said.

Jefferson sighed. "I heard."

I shook my head in exasperation. "Play nice kids," I warned. Danny wiped the sweat off his face.

Rose sniffed and screwed up her face in disgust. "Danny, is that you?"

"I'm not exactly happy," Danny snapped defensively.

"None of us are happy, Danny," I pointed out.

" **I'm just moving the air,** " Zach informed us. " **I've got to oxygenate the next section. Now, keep calm... or it's gonna feel worse.** " We all snapped our heads around at a loud bang. Jefferson aimed his gun down the tunnel.

"What was that?" Danny asked nervously.

"Mr Jefferson, what was that?" Rose inquired loudly.

"What's that noise?" Toby questioned.

' _Seriously people. How many times can you ask the same question?_ ' I thought in annoyance.

"Captain... what was that?" Jefferson asked,

" **The junction in Habitation Five's been opened, it must be the Ood. They're in the tunnels!** " Zach warned.

"Well, open the gate!" Danny exclaimed.

" **I've gotta get the air in!** " Zach protested.

"Just open it! ... sir," Danny shouted.

"Where are they? Are they close?" I asked.

" **Don't know, I can't tell - I can't see them... the computer doesn't register Ood as proper life forms.** "

"Whose _brilliant_ idea was that?" I asked bitterly. The Ood are living creatures, how can they not be considered proper life forms?

"Open the gate!" Danny yelled into his wrist comm, trembling. The gate opened and we all lunged through it.

" **Danny, turn left. Immediate left.** " We crawled through the tunnel as fast as we could, Jefferson going backwards with his gun at the ready.

"The Ood, sir, can't you trap them? Cut off the air?" Jefferson suggested.

" **Not without cutting off yours,** " Zach replied. " **Danny, turn right. Go right! Go fast, Dan, they're gonna catch up!** " Danny frantically turned right

"I'll maintain defense of position!" Jefferson decided.

"You can't stop!" Rose protested.

Jefferson sat down, aiming his gun down the tunnel. "Miss Tyler, that's my job. You've got your task, now see to it."

"You heard what he said, now shift," Toby said. He and Rose moved down the tunnel, but I stayed put.

"Jefferson, please come with us. I don't want to lose anymore people," I pleaded desperately.

"I'm buying you guys some time," he replied gruffly.

"I'm not leaving you behind!" I told him.

"I'll join you when the threat is neutralized. Now go!" He ordered. I growled in frustration, but crawled down the tunnel, knowing there was nothing else I could do to help. Why did he have to be so stubborn.

"Open it now!" Danny yelled into his wrist comm as I approached. I heard gun shots as Jefferson fired at the Ood.

" **I'm trying,** " Zach replied irritably. Danny started pounding desperately on the closed gate.

"Danny, stop it. That's not helping," I told him.

"Zach, get it open!" Toby shouted.

" **Jefferson... I've gotta open 8.2 by closing 8.1. You've got to get past the junction, now move. That's an order, now move!** " Another gun shot. " **I'm gonna lose oxygen, Jefferson, I can't stop for your dramatics!** "

The gate opened and we crawled through it. "Come on!" Danny called.

"Come on, Jefferson!" I shouted down the tunnel.

" **Danny, turn left and head for 9.2. That's the last one. Jefferson, you've gotta move faster. Move!** " The gate began to close behind us.

"Mr Jefferson, come on!" Rose shouted, spotting the man crawling rapidly towards the closing gate.

Toby shoved her forward. "Keep going!" I pressed my weight against the gate, trying desperately to slow its descent. It was no use. The gate slammed shut just as Jefferson reached it.

"No!" I shouted. I pounded my fist on the sealed gate and grit my teeth in frustration. Once again, I had failed to save a life.

Rose crawled over and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Come on," she said quietly. Reluctantly, I followed her and the others down the tunnel to the next gate.

" **Regret to inform, sir... I was a bit slow. Not so fast, these days,** " Jefferson panted.

" **I can't open 8.1, John. Not without losing air for the others,** " Zach said sadly.

" **And quite right too, sir. I think I bought them a little time.** " We reached the next gate and sat down, panting.

" **There's nothing I can do, Jefferson. I'm sorry.** " Zach sounded close to tears.

" **You've done enough, sir. Made a very good captain under the circumstances,** " Jefferson assured Zach. Rose and I hugged each other tightly, trying hard not to cry. " **I ask, if you can't add oxygen to this section... can you speed up the process of its removal?** "

" **I don't understand. What do you mean?** " Zach asked in confusion. I closed my eyes, a tear slipping down my cheek.

" **Well... if I might chose the manner of my departure, sir... lack of air seems more natural than... well... let's say... death by Ood. I'd appreciate it, sir!** "

" **God speed, Mr Jefferson,** " Zach said.

" **Thank you, sir.** "

" **Report... Officer John Maynard Jefferson PKD... deceased... with honors. 43K2.1,** " Zach said, his voice cracking slightly.

I hung my head sadly. ' _I'm sorry, Jefferson._ ' I was mad at myself for not pushing Jefferson harder. Unfortunately, knowing what little I did about him, even if I had had a vision about what was going to happen to him, I don't think he would have changed his mind.

"Zach... we're at the final junction. 9.2. And er... if my respects could be on record. He saved our lives," Danny said quietly.

" **Noted. Opening 9.2.** " The gate opened to reveal several Ood. We all scrambled back.

"Lower 9.2. Zach, lower it!" I shouted.

"Back! Back! Back!" Danny yelled.

"We can't go back," Toby protested. "The gang point's sealed off, we're stuck!"

I glanced up and noticed some grilling. "Come on!" I pushed it away and climbed through, popping up in a corridor. Danny and Rose followed close behind.

"Come on! Toby, come on!" Rose called. "Toby, get out of there!"

"Help me! Oh, my gosh, help me!" He panicked, scrambling through the hole. Rose and Danny helped him through. The door at one end of the corridor opened and more Ood came through.

"It's this way," Danny said, running in the opposite direction of the Ood. We ran down the corridor, the Ood in pursuit.

We burst into Ood habitation and some Ood that were still in the pen looked up at us. "Get it in!" Rose yelled at Danny.

"Danny, get down," Toby warned.

"Transmit!" I urged.

"I'm trying, I'm trying! I'm getting at it," Danny replied as he fumbled with the computer disc.

"Stop them!" Toby yelled. The Ood made their way up the stairs towards us.

"Danny, get that thing transmitting!" Rose shouted. Danny finally got the disc into the computer and the reading dropped to Basic 0. The Ood clutched at their heads and jerked about like they were having seizers.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered to the Ood as they collapsed.

"You did it! We did it!" Rose said happily, throwing her arms around Danny.

"Yes!" Danny exclaimed, grinning. Danny, Toby, and Rose exchanged hugs while I stood staring sadly at the Ood. I liked killing as much as the Doctor did, which of course, was not at all. It hadn't been their fault that they had gotten possessed. They were just innocent bystanders that got caught up in the mix.

I picked up the communicator by the computer. "Zach, we did it. The Ood are down. Now we've gotta get the Doctor and Ida."

" **I'm on my way,** " Zach replied. I rushed off back to the exploration deck, eager to see the Doctor again. The other three followed.

I immediately ran to the comms as soon as I entered the exploration deck. "Doctor? Are you there?" I asked hopefully. "Doctor? Ida? Can you hear me?" A disappointing silence followed my calls.

"The comms are still down," Zach informed me as he walked up. "I can patch them through the central desk and boost the signal. Just give me a minute." He worked at the computer while I waited anxiously for the comms to come back online.

' _You better still be alive, you idiot,_ ' I thought worriedly.

Rose walked up behind me and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure he's fine," she assured me. I nodded, but my hearts still continued to pound with worry and anticipation. I didn't know what I would do with myself if I lost the Doctor.

"Right, you should be good," Zach said.

"Doctor? Are you there? Doctor, Ida? Can you hear me?" I called, hoping this time to finally get a response. "Are you there, Doctor?"

" **He's gone** ," Ida replied quietly.

My hearts stopped and my breath hitched. ' _No! Please, no,_ ' I thought. "Ida, please tell me you're kidding," I said slowly.

" **I wish I was,** " she sighed.

I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath. "He decided to go into the pit, didn't he?"

"I couldn't stop him," she said quietly. I nodded, knowing that was just like him. "He said your name..."

Zach gently took the communicator from my hand. "I'm sorry," he told me softly. I didn't respond. I walked numbly over to the railing by the shaft and placed my hands on it for support. I hung my head as I tried to come to terms with the fact that I would never see the Doctor again. Zach talked to Ida, but I tuned out their conversation. A few tears slid down my cheeks. The Doctor was all I had left. The one person I had ever loved and now he was gone. I had nothing left now. I didn't even have a TARDIS. "Danny, Toby, close down the feed links. Get the retrotopes online," I vaguely heard Zach order. "Then get to the rocket, strap yourselves in. We're leaving."

"I'm not going," I decided, without turning around.

"Wonder, there's space for you and Rose," Zach told me reassuringly.

"I'm sure there is," I replied, turning around, "but I'm still not going."

Zach furrowed his brows in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm gonna wait for the Doctor."

Zach's gaze softened. "I'm sorry, but... he's dead."

I shook my head. "He's not," I said firmly. "I would know if he was. I spent half my life waiting for him on our home planet, looking up at the sky every day, hoping that that was the day he would come back." My voice cracked as I struggled to hold back my tears. Rose stood off to the side, her eyes red from crying. "You can take Rose with you. Keep her safe." I ignored Rose gasp of protest. I promised Jackie that Rose would come home, but since I broke that promise, the best I could do was to keep her safe. I knew the guys would take care of her. I took a shaky breath. "He's all I have left. I can't leave him, not when there is still hope that he's alive," I finished.

Zach nodded. "Then I apologize for this." I furrowed my brows in confusion. "Danny, Toby, make her secure."

"What are you doing?" Rose asked as Toby and Danny came up on either side of me, each taking one of my arms.

I struggled. "No, no! No! No! No! Let me go!" I screamed. I struggled harder, but my small body was no match for the two full grown men holding me. "Get off me! I'm not leaving!"

"Leave her alone!" Rose begged, coming over to try and pry Toby and Danny off me.

My eyes widened as I saw the needle Zach had pulled out. Zach stuck the needle in my arm and released the contents into my blood stream. The effect was almost immediate. My brain became fuzzy and my vision blurred. "No..." Was all I was able to get put before I passed out.

I groaned as my Time Lady brain started to kick back into gear. "Captain... I think we're gonna have a problem passenger," I heard Danny say.

"Keep an eye on her," Zach replied.

I opened my eyes and blinked. I glanced around, taking in my surroundings. We were no longer in the base. "Wait... I'm not..."

"It's all right, Wonder, you're safe," Danny assured me.

"I'm sorry, Wonder," Rose apologized from beside me. "I tried to stop them."

"No! I can't leave him!" I shouted, tugging desperately at my seatbelt. I couldn't, wouldn't, leave the Doctor behind.

"And... lift-off!" Zach announced. Danny, Toby, and Zach cheered as the rocket lifted off.

I spotted a bolt gun lying on the floor and grabbed it, pointing it at Zach. "Take me back to the planet," I ordered. The Doctor and I had been through so much together, I _had_ to go back for him. He would have done the same for me.

"Wonder!" Rose shouted in shock. Zach didn't even turned around.

"Take me back!" I shouted.

"Or what?" Zach challenged.

"Or I'll shoot," I replied, knowing full well I never would. I just hopped it would scare him enough to do as I said.

Zach turned around. "Would you, though? Would you really? Is that what your Doctor would want?" Apparently he called my bluff. I held his gaze for a moment before dropping the gun with a defeated sigh. While it was true the Doctor would have gone back for me if he were in my situation, he wouldn't have killed an innocent life to do so. "Sorry, but it's too late anyway. Take a look outside. We can't turn back. This is what the Doctor would have wanted. Isn't that right?" I didn't reply as I looked out the window. I could see the planet we had been on rapidly shrinking as we flew away.

' _I'm sorry, Theta. I tried._ ' I thought sadly, a single tear sliding down my cheek, my hearts breaking. ' _I love you._ '

As we flew away, Toby started to laughed quietly to himself in his seat next to Rose. "What's the joke?" Danny asked bitterly from the front passenger seat.

"Just... we made it. We escaped. We actually did it," Toby said with a smile. None of the rest of us shared his happiness.

"Not all of us," Rose said sadly.

"We're not out of it yet," Zach pointed out. "We're still the first people in history to fly away from a black hole. Toby, read me the stats."

"Gravity funnel holding, sir. Always holding," Toby answered with a smirk. "Stats. at 53, funnel status at 66.5. Hull pressure constant. Smooth as we can, sir. All the way back home. Coordinates set for Planet Earth."

I stared miserably out the window. My brows furrowed thoughtfully. Something just didn't feel right. "It doesn't make sense," I mussed out loud. "We escaped, but there's a thousand ways it could've killed us. But it let us go. Why?" I thought for a moment. "Unless it wanted us to escape..."

"Hey, Wonder, do us a favor...Shut up," Toby snapped. I stared at him as he looked away. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him. I looked at Rose who glanced at me with a puzzled expression. "Almost there," Toby continued. "We'll be beyond the reach of the black hole in 40... 39..." Suddenly, the rocket began to shake violently.

"What happened? What was that?!" Danny panicked.

"What's he doing? What is he doing?" Toby shouted. I glanced at Toby in confusion. What did that mean?

"We've lost the funnel! Gravity collapse!" Zach cried.

"What does that mean?" Rose asked apprehensively.

"We can't escape," Zach said solemnly. "We're headed straight for the black hole!" The rocket spun around and began spiraling towards the black hole.

I looked out the window. "It's the planet," I said quietly. "The planet's moving. It's falling." I turned as Rose cried out in shock. Toby was covered in the symbols again and his eyes had gone red.

" _I am the rage_ ," Toby declared in the voice of the Beast.

"It's Toby, Zach, do something!" Rose screeched, trying to get a far away from Toby as possible within the restraints of her seatbelt.

" _And the bile and the ferocity_ ," Toby continued, speaking rapidly.

"Just do something!" I yelled. My mind raced as I tried to come up with a plan.

" _I am the Prince and the Fall and the Darkness._ "

"It's him! It's him! It's him!" Danny repeated, panicking.

"Stay where you are, the ship's not stable!" Zach warned. Toby expelled a burst of flame from his mouth. "What is he?! What the heck is he?!"

" _I shall never die! The thought of me is forever!_ " Toby yelled. " _In the bleeding hearts of men, in their vanity and obsession and lust. Nothing shall ever destroy me. Nothing!_ "

I picked up the bolt gun again and aimed it at the front window. "Go back to the shadows," I said darkly. I fired at the glass, shattering it. "Rose!" I shouted over the roar of the air escaping the ship. She nodded and undid Toby's seatbelt. He roared in anger and fear as he was sucked out into space.

"Emergency shield!" Zach cried. He pressed a button and activated the emergency shield, covering the gaping hole. "We've still lost the gravity funnel. We can't escape the black hole!"

"But we stopped him. That's what the Doctor would've done," I declared.

"Some victory," Zach muttered bitterly. "We're going in."

"The planet's lost orbit! It's falling!" Danny cried, terrified. "The planet's gone." I didn't say anything, hanging my head sadly. "I'm sorry," he told Rose and I.

"Accelerate. I did my best. But hey, first Human Beings to fall inside a black hole. How about that? History," Zach muttered. We all screwed our eyes shut, bracing for impact as the rocket continued to shake and spiral towards the black hole. Silence fell.

"What happened?" Rose wondered. We all leaned to one side as the rocket began to turn.

"We're... turning," Zach said, confused. "We're turning around. We're turning away!"

The comms suddenly sprang to life as a very familiar voice came through. " **Sorry about the hijack, Captain. This is the good ship TARDIS.** " My hearts leapt for joy at the sound of the Doctor's voice. " **Now, first thing's first, have you got a Wonder and Rose Tyler on board?** "

"Yes!" I cried, unable to contain my excitement and relief. "We're here! We're both fine!" Rose and I laughed happily.

"Where are you?" Rose asked.

" **I'm just towing you home. Gravity-schmavity. My people practically invented black holes,** " the Doctor dismissed.

I laughed again, grinning madly, my hearts practically bursting with joy and relief at hearing his voice again. "Actually, they did, Doctor."

" **That's right,** " he replied. " **In a couple of minutes, we'll be nice and safe. Oh, and captain, can we do a swap? Say, if you give me Wonder and Rose Tyler, I'll give you Ida Scott? How about that?** " I grinned even wider. Ida made it!

"She's alive!" Zach said delightedly.

"Yes! Thank God," Danny said, smiling in relief.

" **Yeah! Bit of oxygen starvation, but she should be all right. I couldn't save the Ood,** " the Doctor said solemnly. " **I only had time for one trip. They went down with the planet. Ah! Entering clear space, end of the line, mission closed.** " Rose and I looked at each other, identically relieved grins on our faces.

The Doctor parked the TARDIS in the hull of the rocket and Danny led Rose and I down. Rose and I said our goodbyes and walked into the TARDIS, much to Danny's confusion. The Doctor looked up as we entered and smiled. Rose ran over to him first and he gathered her in his arms in a tight hug. He set her down and looked to me. I smiled and choked out a laugh before running into his arms. He hugged me tightly then pulled back just long enough to capture my lips in a passionate kiss. My hearts thudded against my chest in pure joy. We kissed so long and hard that our respiratory bypass systems had to kick in. When we finally pulled away, we rested our foreheads together, breathing heavily. We looked up to see Rose standing off to the side with a soft smile on her face. We both held our hands out for her and she stared at us for a moment before running into our arms. We all stood together giggling, happy to be together again. The Doctor pulled away from us and walked over to the comms.

"Zach? We'll be off, now. Have a good trip home," he said. Rose and I walked over to stand on either side of him. "And the next time you get curious about something... oh... what's the point? You'll just go blundering in. The human race..." He sighed. I chuckled.

" **But Doctor, what did you find down there? That creature, what was it?** " Ida asked.

"I don't know! Never did decipher that writing," he replied, though I was pretty sure he knew e _xactly_ what was down in the pit. "But that's good! Day I know everything? Might as well stop."

"What do you think it was? Really?" Rose pressed.

"I think... we beat it," the Doctor said after a moments pause. "That's good enough for me."

"It said I was gonna die in battle."

The Doctor and I caught her eye. I could clearly see the fear in her eyes. "Then it lied," the Doctor said confidently. Rose smiled, reassured. The Doctor turned back to the comms. "Right, onwards, upwards, Ida, see you again, maybe!"

" **I hope so,** " Ida said.

"And thanks, boys!" Rose called.

" **Sorry about earlier, Wonder,** " Zach apologized.

"Don't worry, I forgive you," I assured him. The Doctor shot me a questioning glance, but I waved him off.

" **Hang on though, Doctor,** " Ida said. " **You never really said... you three... who are you?** "

"Oh..." The Doctor looked at Rose and I, grinning. "The stuff of legend." He pulled a lever and the familiar wheezing of the TARDS engines filled the room.

Later, I sat on my bed, dressed in pajamas and my sketch book on my lap. I was busy trying to sketch an Ood. I felt bad that we couldn't save them, they were such nice creatures. After the stressful adventure, I had decided I needed to rest. Someone knocked on my door and I told them to come in, already knowing it was the Doctor, having sensed him approach. The presence had disappeared from my mind after Toby flew out of the spaceship and I was relishing feeling the Doctor's presence in my mind again. He didn't say anything as he walked over to me and sat down in the bed. "You alright?" He asked gently.

"Tired, but that's easily fixable," I replied. He nodded and went quiet as I continued to sketch. After a few moments, I sighed and closed my sketchbook. "I thought I lost you," I told him quietly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to leave you, but there was no way for me to get back to you," he said. "I had to see what was down there."

I closed my eyes and hung my head. "I know, but after Ida said you were gone, I found myself dreading what I was going to do without you." I looked up at him, my eyes watering. "You are all I have left, Theta, and I just can't bear the thought of loosing you."

The Doctor gazed at me softly and brought a hand to my cheek, rubbing it with his thumb. I placed my hand of his, leaning into his touch. "I will _always_ come back to you, Aryia," he said firmly yet gently. "Always." I smiled tearfully. I leaned forward and gently placed my lips on his. He responded immediately, moving his hands to my waist. He drew me closer, pulling me into his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and played with the hair at the nape of his neck. He moaned, causing me to smile slightly against his lips. He moved his lips from mine to my neck. I gasped slightly as he nipped my neck. He smirked as he kissed the spot. I let out a soft moan as he found a sweet spot on my neck. He captured my lips again then pulled away, resting his forehead against mine. "I love you, Aryia," he said softly.

I smiled. "I love you too, Theta. Stay we me tonight?"

"Of course." I got off his lap as he stood up, took off his suit coat, tie, and shoes and climbed into the bed next to me. He wrapped his arms around me, drawing me to his chest. I laid my head on his chest and let his double heart beat lull me to sleep.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Please review and let me know what you thought. A couple of people have brought to my atention that Wonder hardly has any original lines. I understand and I'm currently working to fix this problem. It will take a while as I'm not the best nor most confident writer, so please bear with me. If anyone has any tips on how to make a particular chapter better, gon't hesitate to let me know. I would love to hear your advice. If any artists are interested in doing a scene, please let me know. I had queen. of. mud do the cover, and she did a great job. I open to any sort of style, just let me know what scene and I cam give you more details. Till next time.**


	26. Love and Monsters

**Hello readers! I bring the next chapter. Most of it is original content, so I hope you like it. Oh, and in answer to your question,** **BC2016, you will have to wait and see. I have some ideas about what I will do during "The Doctor's Daughter", but I'm still working it out. And thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter. Anyway, read on.**

* * *

I entered the console room to find the Doctor staring intently at the monitor. "What's up?" I asked him, walking over to stand beside him.

"There is an escaped shade from the Howling Halls," he said.

I furrowed my brows in concern. "Where is it?"

"I've tracked it to a house. We have to move fast before it hurts anyone."

"Before what hurts anyone?" Rose inquired as she came in.

"We've got an escaped shade. You will have to stay here," I told her.

Rose frowned in confusion. "Why?"

"Because shades are extremely dangerous and require an expert hand to deal with them," the Doctor replied.

"For once, we actually know what we're dealing with and we don't want to put you in unnecessary danger," I added.

The Doctor turned to me. "What do you mean 'we'?"

"You didn't think you were gonna leave me behind, did you?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow and crossing my arms challengingly.

"Wonder, you know perfectly well that shades are dangerous."

"Which is why I'm not letting you go alone. I've studied shades in the Academy. I know how they work and how to deal with them. I'm going with you and that's that," I stated firmly.

The Doctor looked like he wanted to protest. He sighed, deciding against it, knowing he wasn't going to change my mind. "Fine. Rose, we'll be back in a bit." He grabbed his trench coat from one of the coral arches and pulled it on.

"Be careful you two," Rose told us as we left.

As the Doctor had said, we found the shade lurking in a house. It took the Doctor and I a couple hours to finally catch the shade. Unfortunately, it had killed a young woman before we stop it. Shortly after we stopped the shade, a young boy, probably about 3 or 4 years old came down the stairs and spotted us. The Doctor and I stared sadly at the boy as he spotted his dead mother lying on the floor.

After getting back to the TARDIS and explaining to Rose what had happened we went on a leisurely adventure. We went back in time to Colonial Williamsburg. Rose and I had fun dressing in the period clothing. We strolled through the streets as the Doctor babbled away about the history of the town. We eventually had to make a bolt for the TARDIS to keep from getting arrested when the Doctor saved a slave from being beaten by a British guard. Shortly after, the TARDIS alerted us of an alien loose in London.

We tracked the alien to a series of warehouses. We decided to lay a trap for the alien, but it didn't quite go as planned. "Doctor! Doctor, the trap!" Rose yelled.

"Where's he gone? Can you see him?" The Doctor asked, glancing around the warehouse.

"There he is!" I shouted, pointing at the alien as he disappeared around a corner. "Stop, no!"

"Watch out!" Rose warned. The alien ran by in a different direction. "There!"

"Where?" The Doctor asked, running over to me.

"There! Over there!" Rose shouted and we bolted after him. We lost track of the alien again.

I groaned in frustration and ran a hand through my messy hair. "Where did he go now?"

Just then the Doctor, Rose, and I heard the alien roar. "Rose go get the bucket, Wonder and I will distract the alien," the Doctor instructed. Rose nodded and ran off. "Not the blue one!" The Doctor shouted after her. He turned to me. "You got the meat?"

I pulled out a large pork chop from my coat pocket. "Yup. Let's go." We ran off in the direction we had heard the roar. The Doctor opened a door and we spotted the alien lumbering towards a young guy.

The Doctor snatched the porch chop from me. "Here, boy! Eat the food!" The Doctor called, holding up the pork chop. "C'mon, look at the lovely food! Isn't' that nice? Isn't it? Yes it is!" The alien turned towards me.

"Get out of here, we got this!" I urged the guy, who stood frozen in shock.

"Have some, boy! Wouldn't you like a porky-choppy then?" The Doctor continued cooing to the alien.

"I said, run!" I shouted at the guy, who still hadn't moved. Rose then came charging around the corner with a warlike cry and flung the contents of the blue bucket she carried into the alien. The alien howled in pain and clutched its eyes.

"Wrong one! You made it worse!" The Doctor yelled.

"You said blue!" Rose protested.

"I said 'not blue'!" The Doctor reminded her. The alien spotted Rose, who whimpered and sprinted away, closely followed by the alien. The Doctor and I groaned in frustration. "Oh... hold on!" He slammed the door closed and we ran off in search of Rose and the alien. The Doctor, Rose, the alien, and I ran screaming in and out of doors through a main hallway in a Scooby Doo style chase. The alien chased the Doctor and I one way, then Rose another, then all three of us, until Rose found the red bucket she was supposed to grab and turned on the alien and chased him one direction then another, the Doctor and I following. After going through one doorway, the Doctor skidded to a halt, making me run into him. He turned back around and bolted back into the hallway, me quickly following. He stopped in the main hallway, staring in confusion at the young man who had been watching us the whole time. "Hold on... don't I know you?" The Doctor asked him. I tilted my head, considering the young man. Now that I got a good look at him, he did see somewhat familiar. The guy didn't answer, looking like a deer caught in a headlight. He turned tail and bolted down a set of stairs behind him. The Doctor and I shared confused looks, until a roar from the alien brought us back to reality and we bolted off to help Rose.

After we got the alien back home, Rose asked if she could visit Jackie again. The Doctor and I agreed, deciding we could have more alone time together. Once Rose had left, the Doctor turned to me. "Go put something nice on and meet me in ten minutes."

"What for?" I asked in confusion.

"It's a surprise. Just ask the TARDIS for help." He ran off down the hall, leaving me standing in the console room.

' _Okay...'_ I thought. I shrugged and made my way to the wardrobe. ' _Alright, sexy, help me find an outfit for whatever the Doctor has planned._ '

' _My pleasure_ ,' she hummed. An outfit appeared on the clothing rack next to me. It consisted of a white and grey patterned, knee-length circle skirt, a purple cold-shoulder top, and short, black gladiator sandals. I put on the outfit and braided my hair.

I stepped out into the hall and glanced around before I realized the Doctor hadn't told me where to meet him. _'Could you tell me where the Doctor is, sexy?'_ Golden light appeared in front of me and I followed it down the hall. After a minute of walking, I spotted the Doctor leaning against the wall just outside a door. He smiled when he saw me and stood strait. I walked over to him and he looped an arm around my waist, tugging me in for a quick kiss. I glanced at the door we stood outside of. "I don't think I've seen this door before."

"No. The TARDIS created it at my request," he replied. "Before we go in, I need you to close your eyes."

"...okay." I gave him a suspicious look, but closed my eyes.

"Don't open the, till I tell you," he said. I heard him open the door. He took my hand and gently pulled me forward. As soon as I stepped through the door, I was met with a gently breeze. I furrowed my brows in confusion, but didn't open my eyes, despite my curiosity. "Keep them closed," the Doctor repeated, leading me further into whatever room we were in. He stopped walking and stepped behind me, turning me slightly. "Okay, open your eyes." I did and gasped. We stood on a grassy hill and below us, standing tall and proud, was the Gallifreyan city of Arcadia. Mountains stood behind the city. I glanced at the Doctor to see that he had a soft smile on his face. "Do you like it?"

"Like it? I _love_ it!" I squealed, a huge grin on my face. "You had the TARDIS create this?"

He nodded. "You did always say this was your favorite spot." At first I didn't understand what he meant till I spotted the giant tree behind him. A hand flew to my mouth. It was the tree we had spent so many days under when we were growing up. I ran over, jumped up, and threw my arms around his neck. He laughed and wrapped his arms around me, staggering back slightly to regain his balance.

"Thank you, Theta" I whispered in his ear.

"Hungry," he asked, setting me down and gesturing to the blanket fill with food under the tree.

"Starving," I replied with a smile. He chuckled and led me over.

For the next couple of hours we just sat on the blanket, eating and talking. We talked about our days as kids. We laughed about all the times the Doctor and my brother had gotten in trouble for various things and how I used to scold them about it. We reminisced about the days we spent up on this hill, all the things we shared with each other.

"Do you remember our first kiss?" I asked him, taking a sip from my can of soda.

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah. I was so nervous."

"I could tell. You kept rubbing the back of your neck. You always do that when your nervous," I giggled.

The Doctor chuckled. "I do tend to do that, don't I?" As I took another sip of my soda, I noticed the Doctor rubbing the back of his neck out of the corner of my eye.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing."

I gave him an unconvinced look. "You're rubbing the back of your neck." He stopped mid rub and lowered his arm. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing's bothering me, I'm just..." He trailed off. He sighed. "Do you remember the day we told each other our names?"

I smiled. "Course I do. That's a day I'll never forget. I remember being so shocked when you told me yours because only bonded Time Lords are supposed to tell each other their names."

Time Lords had two "versions" of what humans would consider as marriage. There were arranged marriages and bonding. An arranged marriage was just like it sounds. Two Gallifreyan families would promise their children to each other to maintain the family status and position in society. A bonded Time Lord's spouse was not chosen by his/her family. Much like in Earth's modern day society, a Time Lord/Lady could choose who they wanted to marry. However, this type of relationship between a Time Lord and Lady was more complicated than a human marriage. A bonded Time Lord/Lady pair would not only come together physically, by exchanging rings, but also mentally and emotionally. While Time Lords are natural telepaths, they must touch one another to communicate. However, a bonded Time Lord pair would create a link with each other, enabling them to communicate mentally without touching. They would also be able to tell what their partner was feeling, whether they were scared, angry, or happy. Since names were so sacred in Gallifreyan society, only bonded pairs told each other their names as a way of expressing trust. Because a bonded pair are linked physically, mentally, and emotionally, if a Time Lord/Lady that was part of a bonded pair died, their partner would usually die shortly after, no mater how many regenerations they had left. The only thing that would prevent a Time Lord/Lady from following their partner would be if they had a child to take care of, as the parent's bond with its child would override the bond they had shared with their partner. Bonding was sacred on Gallifrey and was not something to be taken lightly. However, bonding was extremely rare. Only bonded pairs were capable of having children naturally. Non-bonded Time Lords and Ladies produced children by what was known as a loom. A loom took DNA from the parents and literally wove them together to create a child.

"I wanted to show you that I trusted you," he told me softly.

I sighed, the smile slipping off my face. "I still remember the day your parents married you off to someone else."

"That was one of the worst days of my life," he admitted, staring at the sky.

I turned to him, my brows furrowed. "Really?" He nodded. "Why? I mean, I know it wasn't exactly the happiest of days, but was it really that bad?"

He met my eyes, a serious look in his face. "It was so bad because it meant I couldn't bond to you." I blinked in surprise. He sat up straight and grabbed my hand. "We have been best friends practically since the day we met and I can't imagine what my life would be like without you." He let go of my hand and reach into his pants pocket. He pulled out a black velvet box and opened it, revealing a beautiful ring. I gasped, my eyes widening and my hands flying to my mouth. "Aryia, would you do me the honor of becoming my bonded?" He asked. I stared at the ring in the velvet box the Doctor held. I knew he loved me, he told me often enough, but never in my twelve regenerations would I have thought he would ever want to bond with me. We had said it would be nice to bond to each other, but I thought that was just something we had just said as kids, never actually meaning it, though I had.

I looked up and met chocolate brown his eyes. Although over the years he had changed, going from wearing ridiculously long scarves, to decorative vegetables, to leather jackets, and now pinstriped suits, he was always the same man, and I loved him with both my hearts. "Yes," I whispered so quietly he could barely hear me, even with his heightened Time Lord senses.

"What?" He asked, not sure he had heard me right.

"Yes!" I repeated louder, my eyes watering and a smile spreading across my face. "Yes! Oh my gosh, yes!" I squealed, a full out grin on my face.

The Doctor grinned so widely he would have made the Cheshire Cat jealous. He leaned forward and smashed his lips against mine. I responded by wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer. He reached one hand up and rested it on the back of my neck, deepening the kiss. We pulled away, both of us grinning like idiots. He pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it onto my finger. I held my hand out as I admired how the ring looked on my finger. It really was a gorgeous ring. It had one TARDIS blue sapphire flanked by two smaller diamonds. The band was made from a special silver metal that would change sizes with my regenerations. I looked back at the Doctor and pulled him in for another kiss.

A while later, the Doctor and I entered the console room, both of us still grinning. I felt like I was in a dream. I could hardly believe that he had proposed to me. As the Doctor went around the console, checking controls to make sure we would be ready to leave when Rose got back, I traced the delicate Gallifreyan writing on the underside of the band absentmindedly. I was so happy, that I felt nothing would be able to ruin my good mood. Just then, the TARDIS door burst open an Rose came storming in. The Doctor and I looked up, startled and confused by her sudden entrance. "What's wrong, Rose?" I asked, walking over to her and looking at her in concern.

"Some guy upset my mum," she said angrily.

"What happened?"

"Some guy was..." Rose trailed off as light from the console reflected off my ring, catching her attention.

"Rose?" I asked, confused as to why she stopped mid sentence.

Rose stared down at my left hand. "Is that what I think it is?" She asked, gesturing to my ring finger.

"Hmm?" It took me a moment to realize she meant my ring. "Oh! Yeah!" I grinned happily.

Rose was quiet for a moment before she let out a squeal of delight, all previous anger forgotten. "I'm so happy for you!" She said, pulling me in for a bone crushing hug. She pulled away and grabbed my hand. "Let me see!" She inspected the ring. "It's gorgeous. It's about time you proposed," she said, directing the last part at the Doctor.

"It took me a while to find the right ring," the Doctor defended himself. "None of them seemed sufficient."

"Where did you find this one?" Rose asked, looking the ring over again.

"On the market planet we visited a while back. Oh, what was its name," he mumbled, thinking hard.

"Albenon?" I suggested.

"That's the one!" The Doctor confirmed with a grin. "Took me a while to find that ring. One of the vendors actually suggested it."

"Well, it's a nice ring," Rose commented.

"I think it's beautiful," I agreed.

"Not as beautiful as you though," the Doctor said, leaning down to give me a quick kiss. "So, Rose, what were you saying about your mum being upset?"

Rose blinked, having completely forgotten about her upset mother. "Some guy upset my mum. Apparently he was just using her to get to you two."

"Well, I think we need to have a word with him about that," I said. "What's his name?"

"Uh, Elton, I think."

"Right," the Doctor said, pressing a few buttons on the console. "Let's go say hello!" He flicked a switch, sending us to our new destination.

The Doctor and I stepped out of the TARDIS, serious looks on our faces. Elton, a guy about mid twenties knelt on the pavement in front of us. A nasty looking alien stood next to him, his arm raised, about to touch Elton. However, neither one of us paid the alien any attention as we stared down Elton. "Someone wants a word with you," the Doctor told Elton.

Rose stormed out of the TARDIS, a murderous look on her face. "You upset my mum," she told Elton angrily.

Elton glanced at the alien beside him and looked back at us in bewilderment. "... Great big absorbing creature from outer space, and you're having a go at me?"

"No one upsets my mum," Rose declared, completely ignoring the alien.

"At last. The greatest feast of all. The Doctor and his Wonder," the alien said gleefully.

The Doctor and I considered the alien. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Now I had seen a lot of different aliens in my travels with the Doctor, some rather pretty like Jabe, and others, not so much, but this one was one of the ugliest I had seen. He was fat and his skin looked slimy. He also had several faces sticking out of several different parts of his body. "What's this thing?" The Doctor wondered aloud. "A sort Absorbatrix? Absorba... clon?"

"Absorbaloff?" I suggested.

"Absorbaloff, yes," the Absorbaloff agreed enthusiastically.

"Is it me or is he a bit... Slitheen?" Rose told the Doctor and I quietly.

I inspected the Absorbaloff a bit more thoroughly. "Now that you mention it, he kind of does."

"Not from Raxacorricofallapatorius, are you?" The Doctor asked the Absorbaloff.

"No! I'm not the swine! I spit on them!" The Absorbaloff declared, offended. "I was born on their twin planet."

The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows curiously. "Really? What's the twin planet of Raxacorricofallapatorius?"

"Clom," the Absorbaloff stated simply.

I raised my eyebrows. "Clom," I repeated. I had expected something a bit harder to spell.

The Absorbaloff nodded. "Clom. Yes. And I'll return there victorious, whilst I possess your traveling machine," he said, gesturing to the TARDIS.

I let out a involuntary snort. ' _As if_.'

"Well, that's never gonna happen," the Doctor replied skeptically.

"Oh, it will," the Absorbaloff said confidently. "You'll surrender yourself to me, Doctor, or this one dies." He gestured to Elton, who had been watching our whole exchange in confusion. "You see, I've read about you and your Wonder, Doctor. I've studied you. So passionate, and you, Wonder, so sweet. Neither of you would let an innocent man die. And I'll absorb him - unless you give yourselves to me." Rose glanced at the Doctor and I with an amused expression.

The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. "It's true Wonder's sweet. And I'm passionate I suppose. But don't ever mistake that for nice," the Doctor replied, making the Absorbaloff blink in surprise. Clearly that wasn't the response he was expecting. "Do what you want." The Doctor and I stared at the alien, appearing completely indifferent about what happened to Elton. The Absorbaloff was right though, the Doctor and I would never let an innocent man die if we had any say.

"He'll die, Doctor," the Absorbaloff warned.

The Doctor shrugged. "Go on then."

The Absorbaloff hesitated. We obviously threw off his plans. "So be it," he decided. He turned back to Elton, who look positively terrified.

"Although, I'm not sure the others will let you," I added casually.

"Others?" The Absorbaloff asked in confusion.

"He's right. Wonder's right," a face of a woman with glasses said from the Absorbaloff's middle. "We can't let him. Oh, Mr Skinner... Bridget... Pull!"

"No!" The alien cried.

"For goodness sake, pull!"

"No, don't, get off, get off!" The Absorbaloff began to panic as the three faces on his body stretched outward

"If it's the last thing we ever do, Bliss! All of us together! Come on! Pull!" The woman's face encouraged. The Absorbaloff yelled in pain and panic as the faces continued to stretched. "LINDA united! Pull!" The alien dropped the cane he was holding. "Elton! The cane! Break it!" Elton picked up the cane and snapped it in half, causing it to emit a shower of sparks. The hand on the end of the cane opened, revealing a glowing light.

"My cane! You stupid man... oh no!" The Absorbaloff cried. He let out one final cry before dissolving. It was gruesome sight.

Elton stared in horror as the liquid Absorbaloff seeped into the ground. "...What did I do?"

"The cane created a limitation field," the Doctor explained solemnly. "Now it's broken, he can't stopped. The absorber is being absorbed."

"By what?"

"By the Earth," I replied. Watching at the last of the alien dissolved into the paving stones.

The face of the woman appeared in one of the paving stone for a fleeting moment and Elton rushed over to it. "Bye bye, Elton. Bye bye," she said, sinking back into the ground.

"Who was she?" Rose asked Elton softly, all her anger forgotten.

Elton looked up at us, his eyes full of unshed tears. "That was Ursula." Rose looked at him for a moment before going over to him and putting her arms around his shoulders as he cried quietly.

A few minutes later, Elton had calmed down. He, Rose, the Doctor, and I sat together on the curb. "You don't remember, do you?" The Doctor asked him softly, referring to the night we had captured the shade. The Doctor and I had worked out that Elton had been the little boy. "There was a shadow in your house," the Doctor explained. "A living shadow in the darkness. An elemental shade had escaped from the Howling Halls. Wonder and I stopped it, but... We weren't in time to save her." The Doctor gazed at Elton sadly. "I'm sorry." We sat in silence for a few moments, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Then something occurred to me.

"We might not have been able to save your mother, but they may be someone we can save," I told Elton. I held out my hand to the Doctor. "Screwdriver." He gave me a confused look, but reached into his pocket and pulled out the sonic.

"What are you going to do?" The Doctor asked, but I didn't answer as I headed to where the Ursula's face had disappeared. The others quickly followed. I knelt down by the paving stone, scanning it with the sonic. "If I can key into the absorption matrix and separate the last victim... it's too late for total reconstruction, but..." The paving stone bubble and the Ursula's head appeared. I stood up and grinned at the Doctor.

"Elton! Fetch a spade!" The Doctor shouted.

It was delicate work digging up the paving stone without breaking it, but we managed it. Elton was very grateful to have Ursula back, even though she was just a face now. The Doctor, Rose, and I watched as Elton left with Ursula. Rose then looped her arms with the Doctor's and I's arms. "Come on, you two," she said, dragging us back to the TARDIS. "We have a wedding to plan."

* * *

 **The Doctor proposed! What did you guys think? I'm not sure I'm happy with this chapter, so please give me your honest opinions. Anyway, I'm having trouble deciding when the wedding should be. I don't plan on doing a wedding chapter, just mentioning in some chapter that the Doctor and Wonder are married. I need them to be married by the time they meet Martha for what I have planned to work. I don't know if I want them to be married before Doomsday or after they meet Donna. I think that if they get married before Doomsday, that the Doctor and a Wonder would have Sarah Jane at the wedding as well as Rose and are your guy's thoughts? Till text time!**


	27. Fear Her

**Hello readers! I'm so sorry for the delay. I've been busy with school work and haven't had much time to write. I haven't started the next chapter yet so I don't know how long it will be till I can get it up. I will do my best to post it soon though. I could use some motivation though. Only a few people have reviewed the last couple of chapters and I thank you to those who did. I would really appreciate if you guys could review and let me know what you think of this chapter. I got a bit lazy at the end trying to finish it and post it. Anyway, enough of my rambling, here is the next chapter.**

* * *

After spending a while planing the Doctor and I's wedding, we decided to take a break and go on another adventure. The Doctor landed the TARDIS and strode to the doors. He opened them, poked his head out, then came strolling back in. "Park the TARDIS wrong, did we?" I asked with a smirk.

"I parked her just fine," the Doctor replied, flipping a few switches and strolling right back out as if nothing had happened.

I rolled my eyes as Rose and I followed him. "Uh, huh. Need I remind you which of us passed and which of us failed the TARDIS flying test?"

"Oh, shut up," he grumbled, causing Rose and I to giggle at him. "Ah!" He said in delight as he stepped out of the TARDIS. "See, perfect landing." Rose and I stepped out after him. We had landed in between two gates.

"Well, it was better than your usual landings, I'll give you that," I told him, glancing around as a train roared by on the tracks behind us. "Your flying could used a bit more work though."

"I fly the TARDIS just fine," the Doctor stated indignantly.

I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms. "Want to tell me why you threw the manual into a black hole then?"

Rose turned to look at the Doctor. "You threw the manual into a black hole?" She asked in surprise.

"I disagreed with it," the Doctor replied, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Not sure the TARDIS appreciated that," I said.

"So, near future, yeah?" Rose asked, noticing a Shayne Ward poster advertising some new album on the fence. I had no idea who he was, I was never up to date on the latest earth music.

The Doctor shrugged. "I had a passing fancy. Only it didn't pass, it stopped." As the three of us strolled down the street, I grabbed the Doctor's hand and interlaced our fingers. He glanced down at me with a smile and placed a quick kiss to the top of my head. We turned down a road that had a banner across it that said 'London 2012'. "30th Olympia," he declared.

"No way!" Rose exclaimed happily, practically jumping up and down in excitement. "Why didn't I think of this, that's great! Ah!"

The Doctor beamed away at Rose's enthusiasm. "Only seems like yesterday a few naked Greek blokes were tossing a discus about... wrestling each other in the sand with crowds stood about, begging."

"Actually, that was Club Med, Doctor," I corrected him. We laughed together.

"Just in time for the opening doo dah, ceremony... tonight, I thought you'd like that," the Doctor continued. "Last one they had in London was dynamite. Wembley, 1948. I loved it so much, I went back and watched it all over again. Fella carrying the torch... lovely chap, what was his...?" I turned to see that Rose was no longer walking with us. She was standing by a lamp post, looking at something. I left the Doctor as he continued rambling to himself and walked over to her. Several missing poster were stapled to the post. I furrowed my brows as I began examining them. "Mark...? John..? Mark...? Legs like pipe cleaners, but strong as a whippet," the Doctor continued, not having noticed Rose and I weren't by him anymore. A shiver went down my spine and I absentmindedly brought a hand up to rub my arm. Why did it seem so cold all of a sudden?

"Doctor," Rose called.

"And in those days, everybody had a tea party to go to," The Doctor babbled, appearing not to have heard Rose.

"Doctor?"

"Did you ever have one of those little cakes with the crunchy ball bearings on top..." I rolled my eyes as the Doctor continued to talk.

"Oi! Stop your yapping and get over here," I told him firmly.

"Do you know those, those things?" The Doctor asked as he sauntered over to Rose and I. "Nobody else in this entire galaxy's ever even bothered to make edible ball bearings. Genius."

"That's great. I'll be sure to get you some later, but right now you need to look at these," I told him, gesturing to the posters Rose and I had been reading.

The Doctor quickly read the posters and the smile slipped from his face. "What's taking them, do you think?" He turned his gaze to the street. "Snatching children from a thoroughly ordinary street like this. Why's it so cold...? Is something reducing the temperature...?"

"I noticed that too," I told him, still rubbing my arm slightly.

"It says they all went missing this week. Why would a person do something like this?" Rose wondered.

The Doctor looked at her. "What makes you think it's a person?"

Rose and I turned at the sound of a door opening. A woman came out of her house, dumped a trash bag by the road, and hurried back inside, all the while glancing around nervously. "Whatever it is, it's got the whole street scared to death," Rose commented. "Doctor, what...?" We both turned around to find the Doctor darting down the road. I put my hands on my hips and shook my head. He couldn't even wait for us, rude.

"Come on," I told Rose with a sigh. We headed down the street after the Doctor. Rose and I turned our heads as the engine of a car driving by stalled.

"There you go. Fifth today. Not natural, is it?" A council worker who was putting something back in his van commented to the driver of the stalled car.

"I dunno what happened, I had it serviced less than a month ago," the driver said in confusion.

The council worker shook his head dismissively. "Nah, don't even try and explain it, mate. All the cars are doing it. And do you know what? It's bonkers. Bonkers." The driver got out of his car. "Come on then, pal. I'll help you shift it. Quicker you're on the way, happier you'll be." The driver and council worker started pushing the car.

"There we go," the driver said as the car slowly stared moving again.

"Do you want a hand?" Rose asked.

"No, we're all right, love," the council worker assured her.

I rolled my eyes and walked over. "Oh, move over." I gently shoved the council worker over so Rose and I could help.

"We're tougher than we look, honest," Rose added with a smile. The car suddenly sprang back to life, causing the council worker to fall over as the car shot forward.

"Does this happen a lot?" Rose asked as the council worker picked himself up.

"Been doing it all week," he grumbled as the car drove off.

"Did it start when the children started going missing?" I asked.

The council worker shrugged. "Yeah, I s'pose so."

"What exactly has been going on around here?" Rose and I walked down the street with the council worker whose name we found out to be Kel.

"Every car cuts out. The council are going nuts. I mean, they've given this street the works," Kel explained. "Renamed it... I've been tarmacking every pot hole..." He gestured to one newly filled pothole proudly. "Look at that. Beauty, init? Yep! And all that is because that Olympic Torch comes right by the end of this close. Just down there. Everything's got to be perfect, ain't it? Only it ain't."

An older woman walked up to us. "It takes 'em when they're playing," the woman said.

"What takes them?" Rose asked.

"Danny... Jane... Dale... snatched in the blink of an eye," she replied.

I turned when I heard the Doctor's voice. "I'm... I'm a police officer!" He said urgently, backing away from a man who looked about ready to beat him up. "I've got a badge, and... and a police car... you don't have to get... I can... I can prove it! Just hold on." The Doctor fished desperately in his pocket for the psychic paper.

"We've had plenty of coppers poking around here, and you don't look, or sound, like any of them," the man said roughly, still advancing menacingly towards the Doctor.

"See, look! I've got colleagues! Lewis and Clark," the Doctor said, pointing to Rose and I.

The man sized Rose and I up. "Well, they look less like coppers than you do," the man said.

I decided to step in for the Doctor before he got himself punched. "Actually, we're amateur detectives. We travel around looking for mysteries to solve."

"Exactly! What she said," the Doctor agreed quickly.

"What are you going to do?" A dark skinned woman asked, joining our group.

"The police have knocked on every door, no clues, no leads, nothing," the older woman said.

"Look, kids run off sometimes, all right? That's what they do," The man insisted.

"Dale Hixon in your garden, playing with your Tommy, and then...poof!" The old woman said. "Right in front of me, like he was never there! There's no need to look any further than this street. It's right here amongst us."

"Why don't we-" the Doctor tried, but was interrupted by another woman.

"Why don't we start with him?" The woman said, pointing to Kel accusingly. "There's been all sorts like him in this street, day and night."

"Fixing things up for the Olympics!" Kel replied indignantly.

"Yeah, and taking an awful long time about it," the man said irritably.

"I'm of the opinion that all we've gotta do is just-" the Doctor tried again.

"You don't... what you just said, that's slander!" Kel accused, not listening to the Doctor.

"I don't care what it is!" The woman dismissed.

The Doctor tried once again to get everyone's attention. "I think we need to just-"

"I want an apology off her!" Kel demanded.

"Stop picking on him," the old woman scolded.

"Yeah, stop picking on me!" Kel agreed.

"And stop pretending to be blind! It's evil!"

"I don't believe in evil," the woman replied, glaring at Kel.

"Oh no, you just believe in tarmackers with sack loads of kidnapped kiddies in their van," Kel retorted angrily.

"Ay, ay, ay, that's not what she's saying," the man said.

"Would you stop ganging up on me?!" Kel pleaded.

"Feeling guilty, are we?" The woman shouted.

"Oh for goodness sake," I muttered. "Fingers on lips!" I shouted, putting a finger to my lips in demonstration. Everyone quieted down and slowly put their fingers to their lips as I stared at each of them intently. I looked pointedly at Rose, who hadn't followed my order. She stared at me for a moment, unsure if I was being serious, before obeying. I then switched my gaze to the Doctor who also hadn't followed my order. I raised my eyebrow at him. He jumped slightly in realization and quickly put his finger to his lips. I nodded in satisfaction. "Thank you. Three of your children have been stolen in the last week, now is not the time to turn on each other."

"Er... can I...?" The old woman asked, gesturing for permission to take her finger off her lips. I nodded. "Look around you... this was a safe street 'til it came. It's not a person. I'll say it if no one else will. Maybe you're coppers, maybe you're not. I don't care who you are. Can you please help us?" She pleaded.

"Yes we can," the Doctor told her softly. I noticed the dark skinned woman glance back at her house nervously. I watched as she hurried back inside. Some movement caught my eye and I glanced up, seeing a young girl peeking out from the window on the second floor. I shivered involuntarily. Something about that girl seemed off.

After everyone had dispersed, the Doctor, Rose, and I continued with our investigation. Rose and I leaned against a goal net as we watched the Doctor sniffed around one of the neighbor's yards. "Want a hanky?" Rose asked the Doctor in amusement.

"Can you smell it?" The Doctor asked. Rose and I sniffed the air. "What does it remind you of?"

"Sort of... metal?" Rose guessed.

The Doctor nodded. "Mm-hm!"

Rose grinned. "Oooh!" The Doctor waved to the man watching us from his window as we left. I sent the man a reassuring smile as I passed.

Next we decided to check out an alleyway behind some of the houses. "Danny Edwards cycled in one end but never came out the other," the Doctor explained. The Doctor suddenly stopped and held up his hand for Rose and I to see. "Whoa, there it goes again! Look at the hairs on the back of my manly hairy hand."

"That's nice, dear," I told him.

Rose to sniffed the air again. "And there's that smell... it's like a um... a burnt fuse plug or something."

I nodded, wrinkling my nose a little. "Whatever is snatching the kids is using a lot of power and leaving residual energy." We walked out the other end of the alleyway.

"Aren't you a beautiful boy?!" Rose exclaimed, spotting a ginger cat. Rose and I went over and started stoking the cat.

"Thanks!" The Doctor said, beaming. "I'm experimenting with back-combing." His smile fell as he realized Rose wasn't talking about him. "Oh."

"Hello, handsome," I greeted the cat, running my hand through its fur. It purred happily and rubbed its head against my leg.

"I used to have one like you," Rose told the cat. She turned to look back at the Doctor, who looked less than happy. "What?"

"No, I'm not really a cat person. Once you've been threatened by one in a nun's wimple, it kind of takes the joy out of it," the Doctor grumbled.

"You're just jealous cause the cat's ginger and you're not," I teased him. The Doctor pouted and I giggled. I stood up and walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. His hands automatically found my waist. "Don't worry, I still love you, ginger or not." I stood on my tip toes to give him a quick kiss.

"Come here, puss!" Rose called to the cat as it walked off. The Doctor grinned at me and leaned down for another kiss. "What do you wanna go in there for?" Rose asked the cat as it wandered into a cardboard box. "Doctor! Wonder!" She called urgently.

The Doctor and I quickly hurried over and picked up the empty box. We recoiled as the strong smell of iron reached our sensitive noses. "Whoa! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!" The Doctor exclaimed, waving his hand in front of his nose to get rid of the smell. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "Iron residue. Blimey! That takes some doing! Just to snatch a living organism out of space/time," he continued, sounding impressed. "This baby is just like, 'I'm 'avin' some of that', I'm impressed."

"So the cat's been transported?" Rose asked.

"Whatever is taking kids must have the ability to harness huge reserves of ionic power," I mused.

The Doctor nodded. "And we need to find the source of that power." He glanced around the street as if hoping to spot whatever was snatching kids. "Find the source and you will find... whatever has taken to stealing children and fluffy animals. See what you can see." He whacked Rose on the shoulder, gesturing to his eyes. "Keep 'em peeled, Lewis." Rose nodded.

"You'll be alright on your own?" I asked her.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Rose assured me.

I nodded. "Okay, but be careful."

"Yes, mum," she replied.

I smiled and raised an eyebrow at her. "Better watch that tone, young lady," I teased, raising a finger at her threateningly. Rose merely smirked and walked off down the street. I walked over to the Doctor, who had moved a few feet down the street. "She gets it from your side of the family," I told him. The Doctor merely rolled his eyes and shook his head. We strolled down the street, searching for anything unusual. "Where do you think we should have the ceremony?"

The Doctor looked down at me in confusion. "What?"

"Our wedding ceremony," I clarified. "We need to figure out where we going to have it."

"Oh, right. I don't know. I imagine it would have to be some local place if we plan on having Jackie and Sarah Jane there," the Doctor replied.

I nodded in agreement. "What about that old church there?" I suggested.

"You mean the one we hid in from the Reapers?" The Doctor asked.

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Why that one?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I thought it was kind of pretty."

"I thought it was kind of dreary," the Doctor replied. "Not enough color."

I giggled. "Alright not there then, what about..." I stopped mid sentence as we rounded the corner and I spotted Rose just as she opened one of the houses' garage doors. Something small came flying out, knocking her to the ground. "Doctor!" I shouted as I bolted towards our companion. She had thrown her arms over her face to protect herself from the object as it continued to attack her.

"Stay still!" The Doctor ordered Rose as he and I ran to her aid. He pointed his sonic screwdriver at the object causing it to convulse then shrink and collapse into Rose's hand.

"Are you alright?" I asked her as we reached her. The Doctor pulled her to her feet.

"Yeah, cheers," Rose replied, slightly out of breath.

"No probs," the Doctor grinned. He gave a quick comforting hug before we turned our attention to the small round object in Rose's hand.

"I'll give you a fiver if you can tell me what it is," the Doctor said, poking it with his sonic. "Cos I haven't got the foggiest."

"Well, I can tell you you've just killed it," Rose said.

The Doctor picked it up to examine it a bit closer. "It was never living. It's animated by energy. Same energy that's snatching people." I took it from him and examined it closely. I gave it a good sniff, trying to figure out what it was. It smelled familiar, but I couldn't figure out why. "That is so dinky! The Go-Anywhere creature. Fits in your pocket... makes friends, impresses the boss... breaks the ice at parties." Suddenly, I got an idea.

"Doctor, do you have a pencil?" I asked.

"Yeah, why?" He asked, giving me a confused look.

"Just a hunch," I replied. He reached into his suit jacket pocket and pulled out a pencil. I flipped the pencil over and rubbed the object with the eraser. The eraser rubbed away part of the object. Rose and the Doctor stared while I grinned satisfactorily. "Just as I thought, it's graphite. Same stuff found in an HB pencil."

"Really?" The Doctor asked, surprised. He took the object back and examined it with interest.

"I was attacked by a... pencil scribble?" Rose asked in confusion.

"Scribble creature," the Doctor corrected, sniffing it. "Brought into being with ionic energy. Whatever we're dealing with, it can create things as well as take them. But... why make a scribble creature?!"

"Must have been a mistake," I mused. "Kids often scribble over mistakes out of frustration. I've even done that from time to time when my drawing doesn't seem to want to come out right."

"You said it was in the street," Rose reminded the Doctor, a look of realization lighting up her face.

The Doctor glanced at her. "Probably..."

"The girl," Rose said simply.

"Of course!" The Doctor exclaimed then paused. "...What girl?"

"Something about her gave me the creeps... even her own mum looked scared of her," Rose said.

I nodded in agreement, remembering the girl watching us from her window. "There was something off about her. Something...not human."

The Doctor leaned forward a bit. "Are you deducting?"

"I think we are," Rose said, giving him a conspiratorial look.

"Copper's hunch?" He asked, grinning.

"Permission to follow it up, sarge?" Rose asked.

"Permission granted," the Doctor replied.

We made our way back to where Rose and I had seen the girl. We approached the house and the Doctor rang the bell. No one came to the door so he rapped his knuckles on the letter box. Finally, the dark skinned woman from earlier opens the door.

"Hello! I'm the Doctor, my fiancé Wonder, and this is Rose. Can we see your daughter?" The Doctor asked, as all three of us grinned at the woman.

"No! You can't," the woman said firmly, glaring at us suspiciously.

"Okay! Bye," the Doctor replied. We turned around and began walking away slowly.

"Why?" The woman asked. We turned back around. "Why do you want to see Chloe?"

"Well, she seemed interested in what was going on outside earlier, so we thought she might like to help us out," I told her.

"Sorry to bother you," Rose apologized.

"Yeah, sorry. We'll let you get on with things. On your own. Bye again!" The Doctor finished and we turned to walk off again.

"Wait!" The woman called. We turned around again to see the woman staring at us helplessly. "Can you help her?"

The Doctor smiled. "Yes, we can."

The woman, who told us her name was Trish, invited us inside. We walked into the living room. The tv was showing footage of the Olympic Torch Bearer running through the streets, people cheering him on as he passed. Rose sat down on the couch and the Doctor flung his trench coat down beside her, but didn't sit. I stood next to the Doctor.

"She stays in her room, most of the time," Trish explained. "I try talking to her, but it's like trying to speak to a brick wall. She gives me nothing, just asks to be left alone."

"What about Chloe's dad?" Rose asked.

"Chloe's dad died a year ago," Trish answered, though she didn't seemed to sad about it.

"I'm sorry," Rose replied, looking at Trish sympathetically.

"You wouldn't be if you'd known him," Trish scoffed.

"Well! Let's go and say hi!" The Doctor said brightly.

"I should check on her first... she might be asleep," Trish replied hesitantly.

"Why are you afraid of her, Trish?" I asked gently.

"I want you to know before you see her that's she's really a great kid," Trish said, avoiding the question.

"I'm sure she is," the Doctor said.

"She's never been in trouble at school... you should see her report from last year. As and Bs," Trish continued, smiling proudly at Rose, who smiled back.

"Can I use your loo?" Rose asked. Trish nodded and Rose stood up and left. I watched her closely as she left. She was up to something, probably doing some investigating.

"She's in the choir. She's singing in an old folks home. Any mum would be proud," Trish said. "You know... I want you to know these things before you see her. Because right now, she's not herself." Just then, we heard Chloe come down the stairs. The Doctor walked towards the kitchen and poked his head in.

"All right, there?" The Doctor asked, spotting Chloe drinking some milk from the fridge. He settled himself against the table and I placed myself next to him. "I'm the Doctor and this is Wonder."

"I'm Chloe Webber," Chloe replied, closing the fridge and turning to face us.

"How're you doing, Chloe Webber?"

"I'm busy. I'm making something. Aren't I, mum?" Chloe replied coolly.

"And like I said, she's not been sleeping," Trish said nervously.

"But you've been drawing, though," the Doctor said, noting the few drawing that were stuck the the fridge. "I'm rubbish. Wonder's the artist. Stick men are about my limit. Can do this, though?" He held up his hand, forming the 'live long and prosper' sign from Star Trek. Chloe merely stared at him, her face void of expression. "Can you do that?" Trish nodded encouragingly at Chloe.

"They don't stop moaning," Chloe finally said.

"Chloe..." Trish scolded.

"I try to help them, but they don't stop moaning," Chloe continued, ignoring her mother.

"Who don't, sweetie?" I asked gently.

"We can be together," Chloe finished.

Trish moved towards her daughter. "Sweetheart..."

"Don't touch me, mum," Chloe snapped. Trish stopped and glanced back at the Doctor and I helplessly. "I'm busy... Doctor, Wonder." She walked out, back towards the stairs.

"Oh, come on, Chloe! Don't be a spoil sport!" The Doctor called after her in disappointment. He and I stood up and followed after her. "What's the big project? I'm dying to know! What're you making up there?"

"Doctor!" Rose screamed. The Doctor and I lurched forward and sprinted up the stairs. We bolted into Chloe's room to see Rose staring transfixed at something in the closet.

"I'm coming to hurt you," a deep voice from the closet said. The Doctor slammed the doors shut.

"Look at it," Rose said, breathing heavily.

"No, ta," the Doctor replied. He walked off, slipping on his glasses to examine the multitude of drawings littering Chloe's room.

"You okay?" I asked Rose, looking her over in concern.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"What was that?" Trish asked.

"A drawing. The face of a man," Rose told her.

"What face?" Trish moved to open the closet door, but Rose stopped her.

"Best not."

Trish turned to her daughter. "What've you been drawing?"

"I'm drew him yesterday," Chloe said.

Trish furrowed her brows. "Who?"

"Dad."

"Your dad? But he's long gone," Trish said, clearly upset by this. "Chloe, with all the lovely things in the world, why him?"

"I dream about him, staring at me," Chloe replied.

"I thought we were putting him behind us. What's the matter with you?"

"We need to stay together." Chloe said.

Trish nodded. "Yes, we do."

"No. Not you. Us," Chloe replied coolly. I blinked. Who is she talking about? "We need to stay together. And then it'll be all right." I glanced at the Doctor as Trish went over to try and comfort her daughter. Chloe, however, flinched away from her mother's touch.

' _Do you think she's talking about the drawings?_ ' I asked him mentally. I had noticed that all of Chloe's drawing were of different people and there was even one that looked like the ginger cat we had seen earlier. I also could have sworn that a couple of the drawings had moved since we got here.

' _Yeah, I think she is_ ,' he replied.

"Trish, the drawings, have you seen what Chloe's drawings can do?" Rose asked.

"Who gave you permission to come into her room? Get out of my house," Trish ordered coldly.

"Can you tell us about the drawings, Chloe?" I asked.

"I don't wanna here any more of this," Trish said.

"But that drawing of her dad... I heard a voice. He spoke," Rose insisted.

"He's dead," Trish snapped. "And these, they're kids pictures. Now get out!"

"Chloe has a power. And I don't know how, but she used it to take Danny Edwards. Dale Hicks, she's using it to snatch the kids," Rose tried to explain.

"Get out," Trish growled.

"Have you seen those drawings move?" Rose asked desperately.

"I haven't seen anything."

"Yes you have. Out of the corner of your eye," I told her.

"No," Trish insisted.

"But you dismissed it, because what choice do you have when you see something you can't possibly explain?" The Doctor added. He approached Trish. "You dismiss it, right? And if anyone mentions it, you get angry, so it's never spoken of, ever ag-"

"She's a child," Trish interrupted.

"And you're terrified of her," the Doctor pointed out. "But there's no one to turn to, because who's gonna believe the things you see out of the corner of your eye? No one. Except us."

Trish stared at him. "Who are you?"

"We're help."

We made our way back to the kitchen, leaving Chloe in her room. The Doctor swiped a jar of marmalade from the counter and made to open it, but I grabbed it from him and set it back on the counter. I sent him a pointed look and shook my head. ' _You can't just help yourself to other people's food without their permission,_ ' I scolded him mentally. He glanced at me sheepishly.

"Those pictures, they're alive. She's drawing people and they end up in her pictures," Rose told Trish.

"Ionic energy. Chloe's harnessing it to steal those kids and place them in some kid of holding-pen made up of ionic power," the Doctor explained.

"And what about the dad from hell in her wardrobe?" Rose asked.

Trish sent Rose and irritated look. "How many times do I have to tell you? He's dead."

"Well, he's got a very loud voice for a dead bloke," Rose muttered.

"Well, if living things can become drawings, maybe it works in reverse," I mused. The Doctor shivered violently beside me, causing Rose and I to jump and me to send him a strange look.

"Chloe's real dad is dead, but not the one who visits her in her nightmares," the Doctor said. "That dad seems very real. That's the dad she's drawn and he's a heartbeat away from crashing into this world."

Trish sighed. "She always got the worst of it when he was alive."

"How can a twelve-year-old girl be doing any of this?" Rose asked the Doctor and I.

"Let's find out," the Doctor decided after a pause. He strode off towards Chloe's bedroom, leaving Rose, Trish, and I to follow.

' _Chloe can't be the one snatching kids, something must be using her,_ ' I mused to the Doctor.

' _We will need to draw it out then. Think you can put Chloe to sleep so we can talk to whatever is using her?_ ' He asked.

' _No problem._ '

When we entered her room, Chloe was sitting cross-legged on her bed. She stared at the Doctor as we entered and held up her own 'live long and prosper' sign. "Nice one," the Doctor complemented. "Wonder." I nodded and knelt before Chloe. I gently held her head in my hands and placed my fingers on her temples. I closed my eyes, concentrating. Chloe's eyes rolled up into her head as I put her to sleep.

"There we go," I said, gently lowering Chloe onto the bed.

"I can't let them do this," Trish said, moving forward, but Rose stopped her.

"Shh, it's okay. Trust them," Rose said quietly.

"Now we can talk," the Doctor said.

"I want Chloe. Wake her up. I want Chloe," Chloe said in a whisper, though it was easy for the Doctor and I to tell that it wasn't Chloe. Something was speaking through her.

"Who are you?" The Doctor asked.

"I want Chloe Webber!" Whatever was speaking through Chloe said again with more force.

"What've you done to my little girl?" Trish asked tearfully.

"Doctor, Wonder, what is it?" Rose asked.

The Doctor walked around the bed, still staring down at Chloe. "I'm speaking to you. The entity that is using this human child. I request parley in compliance with the Shadow Proclamation."

"I don't care about shadows or parleys," 'Chloe' snapped.

' _Let me try,_ ' I told the Doctor mentally. "What do you care about?" I asked gently.

"I want my friends."

I walked over and sat down on the bed beside Chloe. "I know you're lonely, but I need you to tell us who you are."

"I am one of many. I travel with my brothers and sisters. We take an endless journey. A thousand of your lifetimes. But now I am alone. I hate it. It's not fair. And I hate it!" 'Chloe' said angrily, slamming her fist on the bed.

I placed a hand gently on Chloe's shoulder. "Please, tell us who you are and we can help," I said softly.

Her eyes snapped open. "Isolus," 'Chloe finally answered.

"You're Isolus. Of course," the Doctor said quietly, he and I sharing a look. That certainly explained everything.

"Our journey began in the Deep Realms when we were a family," the Isolus explained. She began drawing on a rapidly on a piece of paper next to her.

"What's that?" Trish asked, looking at the drawing.

"The Isolus Mother, drifting in Deep Space," the Doctor explained. "See, she jettisons millions of fledgling spores. Her children. The Isolus are empathic beings of intense emotions, but when they're cast off from their mother, their empathic link, their need for each other, is what sustains them. They need to be together. They cannot be alone."

"Our journey is long," the Isolus continued. I rubbed Chloe's shoulder with my thumb, trying my best to offer comfort.

"The Isolus children travel, each inside a pod. They ride the heat and energy of solar tides. It takes thousands and thousands of years for them to grow up," the Doctor explained.

"Thousands of years just floating through space... poor things, don't they go mad with boredom?" Rose asked.

"We play," the Isolus stated simply.

Rose blinked. "You... play?"

I nodded. "They create make-believe worlds to play in using their ionic power."

"In-flight entertainment," Rose commented appreciatively.

"Keeps them happy. While they're happy, they can feed off each other's love. They're lost without it." I turned my attention back to the Isolus, cocking my head. "Why did you come to Earth?"

"We were too close," the Isolus said. She grabbed another piece of paper and started drawing again.

"That's a solar flare from your sun," the Doctor realized. "Would've made a tidal wave of solar energy that scattered the Isolus pods."

"Only I fell to Earth. My brothers and sisters are left up there. And I cannot reach them. So alone."

"Where's your pod?" I asked.

"My pod was drawn to heat and I was drawn to Chloe Webber. She was like me. Alone. She needed me. And I her."

I stroked the side of Chloe's head. "You empathized with her. You wanted to be with her because she was alone like you."

"I want my family. It's not fair," the Isolus complained. Rose and Trish watch sadly.

I stared down at Chloe sadly. I knew what it was like to feel alone. "I know you're lonely. I understand. You wanna make a family. But that doesn't give you the right to use Chloe to steal friends. I'm sorry, but you need to leave her. Let us help you," I pleaded quietly.

"I am alone," the Isolus said, a tear sliding down Chloe's cheek. Suddenly, there was a thump from the closet, causing Trish to gasp.

"I'm coming to hurt you," a Chloe's dad declared. Although her face remained impassive, Chloe began to shake in fear. "I'm coming." I placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"Trish, how do you calm her?" I asked. Chloe continued to shake and tremble as if she was having a seizer.

"What?!" Trish asked.

"When she has nightmares, what do you do?"

"I-I," Trish stuttered fearfully.

"What do you do?" I asked urgently.

"I sing to her," Trish said.

"Then start singing." I motion for her to come over and moved so she could sit down.

"Chloe... I'm coming," Chloe's dad said.

"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, merry merry king of the bush is he," Trish sung.

The thumping continued. "Chloe... Chloe..."

"Laugh, Kookaburra laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be," Trish continued, stroking her daughters head. The banging faded as Trish sung. "Laugh, Kookaburra laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be." Chloe stopped shaking and closed her eyes, rolling over into her side. Trish gazed tearfully down at her. "He came to her because she was lonely... Chloe, I'm sorry." Trish buried her head in her daughters shoulder, sobbing. The Doctor and I glanced at each other sadly.

"Chloe usually got the brunt of his temper," Trish explained as she walked around gathering all the pencils. We had decided we needed to get rid of all the pencils so the Isolus couldn't snatch any more people. "When he'd had a drink. The day he crashed the car, I thought we were free. I thought it was over."

"Did you talk to her about it?" Rose asked.

Trish shook her head. "I didn't want to."

"That's why Chloe feels so alone," I told Trish. "She wants to talk to you about her nightmares, but you refuse to talk about anything to do with her father."

"Her an the Isolus... two lonely kids who need each other," the Doctor said quietly.

"And it won't stop, will it?" Rose asked. "It'll just keep pulling kids in."

The Doctor shook his head. "It's desperate to be loved. It's used to a pretty big family."

"How big?"

"Say around... four billion?" The Doctor replied. Rose and Trish stood in a stunned silence.

I grabbed the Doctor jacket and tossed it to him. "Right, Trish, do another sweep for pencils. You can't let Chloe get ahold of any."

"Where are you going?" Trish asked apprehensively as the Doctor, Rose, and I walked towards the front door.

"We have a pod to find," I told her. We left the house and strode down the street towards the TARDIS. "The TARDIS should be able to track the pod."

"It crashed, won't it be destroyed?" Rose asked.

"Well, it's been sucking in all the heat it can... hopefully that should keep it in a fit state to launch," the Doctor answered. "It must be close. Like Wonder said, It should have a weak energy signature that the TARDIS can trace. Once we find it, then we can stop the Isolus."

"We're not stopping the Isolus, we're helping it," I corrected.

"Helping, right, sorry," the Doctor agreed. "Anyway, we can scan for the same trace we picked up from the scribble creature. Just need to widen the field a bit." He fished the TARDIS key out of his pocket and opened the door. I went to follow him and Rose, but stopped on the threshold. I had a strange feeling we were being watched. I glanced around the empty street suspiciously. When I didn't see anything, I reluctantly entered the TARDIS. The Doctor was already pulling out various bit and pieces of various objects we would need to build a device to locate the Isolus's pod and handing them to Rose. Rose plopped herself down in the jump seat while the Doctor fumbled with the device in his hand.

"You knew the Isolus was lonely before it told you. How?" Rose asked me as I came over and leaned against the console. The Doctor walked over and shoved Rose off her seat and sat down as he continued to put together his device.

I kicked his leg causing him to give a small yelp of pain. "Rude," I scolded him before turning to Rose who had moved to stand next to me. "I know what it's like to be lonely, to want to be with those you love, but are unable to. I waited around in Gallifrey for this numpty for half of my life," I told her, gesturing to the Doctor.

"I said I was sorry, but it wasn't my fault your parents wouldn't let you travel with me," the Doctor said. "Give me the stina magnetic erm...thing in your left hand!" He told Rose, nodding violently to one of the many object she held.

"Here," I said, taking the needed object from Rose and handing it to the Doctor, who then placed it on his device.

"Sounds like you're on its side," Rose commented, chewing on a piece of gum.

"I sympathize, that's all."

"The Isolus has caused a lot of pain for these people," Rose pointed out.

"It's just a child, Rose," I said softly. "And while I know that's no excuse for what it's done, I understand where it's coming from."

"Binary dot," the Doctor cut in. Rose passed it to him.

"The Isolus is scared," I continued. "It's a child on its own for the first time and it doesn't know what to do. It can't get to its family, so it's trying to fill a hole by snatching kids, hoping to be loved." Rose stared at me, but didn't reply.

"I think we're there!" The Doctor said, standing up and going over to the console. "Wonder's right, though. Fear. Loneliness. They're the big ones, Rose. Some of the most terrible acts ever committed have been inspired by them. We're not dealing with something that wants to conquer or destroy." He pulled a series of levers and buttons on the console as he babbled away. "There's a lot of things you need to get across this universe. Warp drive... wormhole refractors..." I glanced at the monitor where a flashing dot appeared on a map of the neighborhood, indicating the location of the pod. The Doctor, who was still rambling, had failed to notice. I looked back at him and pointed to the screen. "You know the thing you need most of all? You need a hand to hold." He noticed my outstretched hand and took it with a wide grin.

I giggled. "Not that I mind you holding my hand, but I was actually pointing." The Doctor furrowed his brows in confusion. He looked to where I was pointing. "The TARDIS found the pod."

"It's in the street! Everything's coming up Doctor!" The Doctor grinned, running towards the doors, Rose and I following close behind. "Okay. It's about two inches across. Dull grey, like a gulls egg. Very light."

"So these pods, they travel from sun to sun using heat, yeah?" Rose asked. "So it's not all about love and stuff." I tuned her out as a strange sensation came over me. I felt like my body was being pulled somewhere. Suddenly everything went black. When the world came back, I found I was face to face with Chloe.

"There, now we can be together. You don't have to be alone anymore," the Isolus said. I realized with horror that she must have drawn me. With slight difficulty, I turned my head to the side and noticed that not only had Chloe drawn me, but she had drawn the Doctor and the TARDIS as well. I growled in frustration. Once again, I hadn't received a vision to let me know this was going to happen. I was beginning to figure that I was only going to get a vision if someone I cared about was in extreme danger. Just then, Rose burst into the room and snatched the paper that the Doctor, the TARDIS, and I had been drawn on. "Leave me alone!" The Isolus demanded. "I want to be with Chloe Webber! I love Chloe Webber!"

"Bring them back, now," Rose demanded.

Chloe glared at Rose. "No."

Rose turned away for a moment before spinning back around and grabbing Chloe by the shoulders. "Don't you realize what you've done?" She snarled. "They were the only ones who could help you, now bring them back!"

"Leave me alone! I love Chloe Webber!"

Rose's gaze softened. "I know. I know," she said, patting Chloe on the shoulder. She turned her attention to the Doctor and I. "Doctor, Wonder, if you can hear me, I'm gonna get you out of there. I'll find the pod." She turned to Trish as she dashed out of the room. "Don't leave her alone, no matter what."

' _She'll get us out,_ ' the Doctor assured me mentally as he slowly wrapped an arm around my waist.

I smiled slightly. ' _I know she will.'_

The Isolus wound up snatching the entire Olympic stadium full of people and had started to draw the earth by the time Rose came back with the pod. She tried to get the Isolus to leave, but it refused, saying the pod was dead and needed more than heat to power it. The Doctor drew the Olympic torch and I drew a heart next to it to help Rose realize what the pod needed. She had smiled at us and dashed off. I guess she had understood what to do because the next thing I knew, I was sitting on the pavement just outside the TARDIS. I glanced around and spotted the Doctor getting to his feet nearby.

"Doctor!" I called, running over to him. He turned and grinned, opening his arms as I ran into them. He hugged me tightly before pulling back and kissing me passionately. I smiled up at him when we pulled back. "She did it."

"Yes she did," he replied, smiling as well. "Now, go find Rose, I'll be back." He gave me another kiss and dashed off down the road.

"Where are you going?" I called after him.

"To do something I've always wanted to do," he answered. I shook my head and turned to go find our companion.

I walked down the street, smiling as I saw the different parents being reunited with their missing kids. I stopped short as something occurred to me. If all the drawings came to life, then that's means... I broke into a run back towards Trish and Chloe's house. I saw Rose standing in the middle of the street. "Rose!" She turned and grinned when she saw me. Her smile quickly disappeared, however, when she saw the look on my face.

"What's wrong? Where's the Doctor?" She asked as I ran up to her.

"Never mind him, all Chloe's drawing came to life," I told her.

She blinked in confusion before her eyes widened. "But that means her dad too," she gasped. "We have to go help." We dashed down the street. The front door of the house slammed shut just as we ran up. Rose started banging on the door. "Trish, get out!"

"I can't! The door's stuck!" Trish shouted.

"Is the Doctor in there?" Rose asked.

"I don't think so!"

"Never mind the Doctor, you've got to get out!" I shouted.

"Chloe," Chloe's dad growled from upstairs.

"Mummy," Chloe whimpered. "Please, dad. No more."

"Chloe, listen to me. It isn't real like the others," I said hurriedly to the scared girl. "Your real dad is gone and he can't hurt you anymore. That is just a fake. You can get rid of it."

"Help us!" Trish shouted, banging on the door.

"I'm coming to get you Chloe."

"Chloe, you have to believe he's not real!" I shouted.

"Mummy!" Chloe cried

"You can do it, Chloe!" Rose yelled encouragingly.

"I can't! I can't..." Chloe sank to the floor.

"I'm with you, Chloe," Trish said, also sinking to the floor. "You're not alone. You'll never be alone again."

"Sing again! Chloe, sing," I encouraged, remembering that Trish she sang to Chloe whenever she had nightmares. Chloe and Trish started singing the Kookaburra song, their voices weak at first but quickly becoming more confident as the drawing of Chloe's roared and disappeared. I smiled with relief and leaned against the door.

"Where did the Doctor go?" Rose asked.

I shrugged. "Oh, he ran off somewhere. Wouldn't tell me where, just that he was going to do something he always wanted to do."

After a short while, Trish opened the door to let us in. Her, Chloe, Rose, Kel, and I went over to the tv to see that the crowd had returned to the stadium. It switched to the torch bearer, who seemed to be exhausted. " **The torch bearer seems to be in a bit of trouble,** " the commentator said. " **We did see a flash of lightening earlier which seemed to strike him... erm, maybe he's injured... he's definitely in trouble.** " The torch bearer collapsed. " **Does this mean that the Olympic Dream is dead?** " Just then, a very familiar brown clad arm picked up the torch. I shook my head with a chuckle. So that's what he was doing.

A smiled spread across Rose's face. "Doctor."

The camera panned to follow the Doctor. " **There's a mystery man, he's picked up the flame... we've no idea who he is... erm... he's carrying the flame, yes! He's carrying the flame and no one wants to stop him.** " Everyone stared laughing with relief and joy as the Doctor ran with the torch held high, a huge grin on his face. We watched as the Doctor ran up a set of stairs. He stopped at the top and gave a loud whoop. He lit the Olympic Flame and the entire crowd erupted in cheers.

"Hey, Trish?" I asked, not taking my eyes of the tv. "Do you happen to have any of those edible ball bearings?"

"Yeah, why?" She asked.

"I was wondering if you might allow me to borrow your kitchen?" She nodded, a look of confusion on her face. "Great. Come on, Rose, Chloe, you two can help."

"What are we doing?" Rose asked as she and Chloe followed me into the kitchen.

I grabbed a couple bananas from a fruit bowl and turned to the two girls with a wide grin. "We're going to make some banana cupcakes."

The next couple of hours were spent in the kitchen. We laughed and talked as we prepared the batter. Trish watched from the entryway with a soft smile on her face. It had probably been a while since she had seen her daughter laugh and smile. Rose and I left after we had cleaned up. We strolled down the street, finishing our cupcakes and looking for the Doctor. I spotted him walking with his back to us, hand stuffed in his pockets. I nudged Rose and held my finger up to my lips as I snuck up behind him, wrapping my arms around him. "Cake?" I asked, holding up the cupcake we had saved for him.

He turned around as I let go. "Top banana!" He grinned as he spotted the cupcake. He grabbed it and to a large bite out of it. "Mm. I can't stress this enough. Ball bearings you can eat, masterpiece!"

Rose watched him for a moment before throwing her arms around him. "Ooh, I thought I'd lost you," she said, holding the Doctor tight.

"Nah! Not on a night like this!" The Doctor replied. "This is a night for lost things being found. Come on!" The three of us strolled down the road as the Doctor finished his cupcake.

"What now?" Rose asked.

"I wanna go to the games! What we came for!" The Doctor answered.

Rose nudged him playfully. "Go on, give us a clue, which events do we do well in?"

"Well, I will tell you this: Papua New Guinea surprises everyone in the shot put."

Rose frowned. "Really? You're joking, aren't you?" She giggled. "Doctor, are you serious or are you joking?"

"Spoilers," I replied with a smirk. We looked up at the sound of fireworks.

"You know what; they keep on trying to split us up, but they never ever will," Rose said.

"Never say never ever," the Doctor said.

"Nah. We'll always be okay." Rose nudged him when he didn't answer. "Don't you reckon, Doctor? What about you, Wonder?"

The Doctor and I stared up at the sky. "Something in the air. Something coming."

"What?"

"A storm's approaching," I replied ominously, causing Rose to shiver nervously.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Please review. Anyway, till next time guys!**


	28. Army of Ghosts

**Hello readers! Sorry for the wait. I've been very busy with finals coming up. My Chemistry professor dumped a while bunch of work on the class, so I've been struggling to get all that work plus the work for my other classes done on time. I don't know how much writing I will be able to do during the next couple of weeks. I haven't started the next chapter yet, so I don't know when I will be able to get it up, but I will do my best to post it as soon as possible. I don't know how much writing I will be able to do during the summer either as I will be every busy moving to go to university Do not fear, however, I will not abandon this story, I just won't be steady with posting chapters. Anyway, I'm sure you guys are eager to read the chapter so I will stop babbling now.**

 **As you know, I own nothing but my oc.**

* * *

The TARDIS landed and the Doctor, Rose, and I stepped. Rose readjusted her backpack, which was filled clothes that needed washing. The Doctor had told her the TARDIS had a laundry room she could use, but Rose insisted on going home. The Doctor grabbed my hand and interlaced our fingers, absentmindedly rubbing my newly added wedding band. We had been bonded now for only a couple of weeks and it still felt like a dream. I smiled fondly as I thought back to our wedding day.

 _Flashback_

The Doctor turned around as Rose, Jackie, and Sarah Jane entered the chapel. They moved aside to reveal me in a beautiful, white wedding dress. My hair was pulled up into a braided bun and I had just enough makeup on to bring out my eyes. The Doctor grinned, his eyes brimming with tears. I grinned back, my own bright turquoise eyes watering.

"You look beautiful," the Doctor told me softly as I walked over to him.

"You don't look too bad yourself," I replied, smiling flirtatiously.

"If you are ready, we may begin," the pastor of the church said.

"Right, allonsy!" The Doctor said. The pastor gave him a strange look and I shook my head in amusement. Rose and Jackie stood behind me and Sarah Jane stood behind the Doctor as the pastor conducted the marriage ceremony. I couldn't stop smiling throughout the whole thing. My hearts pounded with joy and anticipation as the Doctor and I said our vows and exchanged rings. "I now pronounce you husband and wife," the pastor said. "You may kiss the bride." The Doctor reached up and placed a hand on the back of my neck, pulling me in and capturing my lips. I responded by wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer to deepen the kiss. We pulled back and grinned at each other, laughing softly in pure joy as Rose, Jackie, and Sarah Jane clapped happily off to the side. It had finally happened. We were finally married!

 _End flashback_

The Doctor squeezed my hand, bringing me back to reality. I glanced at him to see he was grinning, knowing exactly what I had been thinking about. Now that we were bonded, there was nothing either of us could hide from the other, not that we could hide anything before. We knew each other too well for that. I grinned back and stood on my tip toes to kiss him.

"Come on, you two love birds," Rose said, smiling fondly at us. "We don't want to keep my mum waiting."

"You didn't exactly tell her we were coming though," I pointed out.

"Oh, just shift," Rose retorted. I smiled and the Doctor chuckled as we followed Rose up to her flat. "Mum, it's us! We're ba-ack!" She called as we walked in.

"Oh, I don't know why you bother with that phone! You never use it!" Jackie lightly scolded Rose as she came around the corner, both exasperated and pleased.

Rose grinned at her mother. "Shut up, come here!" Rose threw her arms around Jackie.

"Oh, I love you!" Jackie said happily.

"I love you!" Rose replied. She let go of her mother and moved on down the hall.

"Hello, Wonder sweetheart!" Jackie greeted me, opening her arms.

"Hello, Jackie," I greeted back, embracing the woman. She, along with Sarah Jane and Rose, had helped me pick out my wedding dress. It had been a rather interesting day in the TARDIS wardrobe.

 _Flashback_

"What about this one?" Jackie asked, holding up another dress.

I shook my head, wrinkling my nose a bit at the poofy dress. "I don't want to look like a Disney princess."

"What's wrong with looking like a princess?"

I sighed. "I just want something simple, Jackie. Besides, I think I would have a lot of trouble walking in that. I would probably face plant half way down the isle."

"What about this?" Rose asked, holding up another dress.

I shook my head again. "Too low cut."

Jackie threw up her hands in exasperation. "Well, I don't know what to tell you. We've been through just about every dress in this place."

Just then, Sarah Jane walked out from one of the rows of clothes with another dress draped over her arm. "How about this one?" She asked, holding it up for me to see. I cocked my head slightly, considering it.

"Might as well try it, sweetheart," Jackie sighed. I nodded and took the dress from Sarah Jane and went to go try it on. When I stepped out, all three women gasped. "It's perfect," Jackie said.

I walked over to inspect myself in the mirror. The dress was simple. It was sleeveless with a halter strap and sweetheart neckline. It hugged my waist, showing off the contours of my body. The skirt portion draped loosely around my legs, allowing for easy movement.

"You look beautiful," Sarah Jane told me with a smile.

"I think that's the one," Rose added.

"I think you're right," I agreed.

 _End flashback_

Jackie released me and grabbed the Doctor who was trying to squeeze past us. "Oh no you don't. Come here!" She gave him a solid kiss on the lips before pulling him in for a bone crushing hug. "Oh, you lovely big fella! Oh, you're all mine!"

"Just... just... just put me down!" The Doctor protested weakly. I covered my mouth, trying to keep from laughing.

"Yes, you are!" Jackie said happily, ignoring the Doctor. She kissed him again and walked off. The Doctor grimaced and wiped his mouth, looking like a young boy with an over-affectionate mother. He sent me a glare as I continued to try and suppress my laughter with difficulty.

"Oh, come here," I told him through my giggling. I grabbed his face and tugged him down for a quick kiss. "There you go." I patted his chest and walked off after Jackie.

"I've got loads of washing for ya!" Rose said, taking off her backpack and dumping into her mother's arms. "And, I got you this!" She showed Jackie a small ornate bottle she had picked up at a market on an asteroid we visited. "It's from the market on this asteroid bazaar. It's made of um...what's it called?" She asked the Doctor and I.

"Bezoolium," the Doctor answered, flipping through some magazines on a nearby table.

Rose nodded. "Bezoolium. When it gets cold, yeah, it means it's gonna rain, when it's hot, it's gonna be sunny! You can use it to tell the weather!"

"I've got a surprise for you and all," Jackie told Rose.

"Oh, I get her bezoolum, she doesn't even say thanks," Rose muttered. I rolled my eyes and shook my head in amusement, flipping through the same book that the Doctor had read when we first came here.

"Hmm, you were right," I told the Doctor. "It was a sad ending." He simply smirked at me.

"Guess who's coming to visit?" Jackie asked Rose excitedly. "You're just in time, he'll be here at ten past! Who do you think it is?"

Rose shrugged. "I don't know."

"Oh go on, guess!"

Rose shook her head. "No, I hate guessing. Just tell me."

Jackie grinned. "It's your grandad. Grandad Prentice. He's on his way. Any minute! Right, cup of tea!"

Rose stared after her mother as she disappeared into the kitchen. "She's gone mad," she said.

"Tell me something new," the Doctor replied, coming up next to Rose.

I smacked his arm lightly. "Be nice."

"Grandad Prentice, that's her dad," Rose explained. "But he died like, ten years ago. She's lost it. Mum?" Rose went after Jackie, the Doctor and I sharing a confused look before following. "What you just said about grandad..."

"Any second now," Jackie said cheerfully.

"But... he passed away. His heart gave out. Do you remember that?" Rose asked gently.

"Course I do!" Jackie replied, slightly offended.

Rose blinked. "...Then how can he come back?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Jackie checked her watch. "Ten past. Here he comes." Suddenly, a ghost like figure stepped out of nowhere into the middle of the kitchen. "Here we are, then!" Rose, the Doctor, and I stared wide eyed at the figure. It was humanoid in shape, but possessed no other features. It was merely a shadow. "Dad... say hello to Rose. Ain't she grown?" Without saying a word, the Doctor dashed out of the flat, the rest of us following close behind.

"They're everywhere!" The Doctor exclaimed in confusion as we ran out onto the street. He was right. Everywhere we looked there were featureless ghosts, each one as undistinguishable from the next. That wasn't the only odd thing, however. People were going about their normal business, completely unfazed by the ghosts.

Rose turned around the face the Doctor and I. "Wonder, look out!" She cried, eyes widening. I spun around just in time to have a ghost walk straight through me. I gasped in surprise, stiffening as the ghost passed. It didn't hurt, but it felt like I had just stepped into a freezer. I shivered as the ghost walked off, not seeming to have noticed it had walked through someone.

The Doctor quickly grabbed my arms, looking at me with concern. "Are you okay? You hurt?" He asked.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine. But I didn't really want to find out what it felt like to the characters of Harry Potter when a ghost walked through them." He smiled softly and kissed my forehead.

"They haven't got long," Jackie said. "Midday shift only lasts a couple of minutes. They're about to fade."

The Doctor turned to her. "What do you mean, shift? Since when did ghosts have shifts? Since when did shifts have ghosts? What's going on?" He asked in rapid succession.

"Oh, he's not happy when I know more than him, is he?" Jackie noticed with a smirk.

"But everyone is so calm. Why is no one freaking out?" I asked.

Jackie shrugged. "Why should we?" She checked her watch. "Here we go. Twelve minutes past." All the ghosts disappeared. The Doctor and I glanced around, utterly bemused. Something was very wrong and we aimed to find out what.

We returned to the flat and turned on the tv. The Doctor sat himself on the floor in front of the tv and I sat on the chair behind him. Jackie sat on the couch while Rose perched herself on the arm. The Doctor flipped to a program called "Ghostwatch".

" **On today's Ghostwatch, claims that some of the ghosts are starting to talk, and there seems to be a regular formation gathering around Westminster Bridge** ," the commentator announced. Footage of ghosts milling around on Westminster Bridge played. " **It's almost like a military display...** "

"What on earth is going on?" The Doctor wondered, his brows furrowed. He changed the channel to what appeared at first to be a weather report, but instead of weather symbols, there were pictures of ghosts.

" **And tonight we're expecting very strong ghosts. From London, through the North and up into Scotland** ," the weatherman reported. We went through channel after channel, each one had something to do with the ghosts.

"It's all over the world." After changing the channel a couple more times, the Doctor switched the tv off and rubbed his eyes.

"When did it start?" I asked Jackie.

"Well first of all, Peggy heard this noise in the cellar, so she goes down-" Jackie started.

"I meant worldwide," I quickly corrected before she could start rambling. She could be as bad as the Doctor when it came to talking.

Jackie blinked and Rose smirked. "Oh! That was about two months ago. Just happened. Woke up one morning, and there they all were, ghosts, everywhere. We all ran round screaming and that, whole planet was panicking... no sign of you, thank you very much... then it sort of sank in. Took us time to realize that... we're lucky."

"What makes you think it's grandad?" Rose asked her mother.

Jackie shrugged. "Just feels like him. There's that smell, those old cigarettes. Can't you smell it?"

"I wish I could, mum, but I can't," Rose said gently.

"You've got to make an effort. You've got to want it, sweetheart," Jackie encouraged.

"The more you want it, the stronger it gets?" The Doctor guessed.

Jackie nodded. "Sort of, yeah."

"Like a psychic link. Course you want your old dad to be alive, but you're wishing him into existence. The ghosts are using that to pull themselves in," the Doctor mused.

"You're spoiling it," Jackie said, glaring at him.

"I'm sorry, Jackie, but there's no smell, there's no cigarettes. Just a memory," the Doctor replied gently.

"But if they're not ghosts, what are they, then?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, but they're human!" Jackie said, jumping at the chance to prove the Doctor wrong. "You can see them, they look human!"

"She's got a point. I mean, they're all sort of blurred, but they're definitely people," Rose added.

"Time Lords look human," I pointed out. "Well, technically humans look Time Lord, but that's beside the point. We've seen a lot of humanoid aliens in our travels, Rose."

"Besides, they're pressing themselves into the surface of the world," the Doctor added thoughtfully. "But a footprint doesn't look like a boot." He got to his feet and strode towards the door. "I need to analyze one of those ghosts, see if I can find where it's coming from."

A bit later, the Doctor and I were back in the TARDIS. He was under the grilling looking for something to scan the ghosts with while I leaned against the console as it was too cramped down with the Doctor. Rose came in holding a newspaper. "According to the paper, they've elected a ghost as MP for Leeds." Rose peered down at the Doctor. "Now don't tell me you're gonna sit back and do nothing."

Suddenly, the Doctor popped up with a Ghostbusters type pack on his back. "Who're you gonna call?" He sang, bobbing his head.

"Ghostbusters!" Rose and I answered, grinning.

"I ain't afraid of no ghosts." The Doctor darted out of the TARDIS. Rose and I following, giggling.

I helped the Doctor place some cones in a triangle shape. "When's the next shift?" the Doctor asked Jackie.

"Quarter to," Jackie answered after checking her watch. "But don't go causing trouble. What's that lot do?" She eyed the cones suspiciously.

"Triangulates their point of origin," he explained.

"I don't suppose it's the Gelth?" Rose asked thoughtfully.

I shook my head. "The Gelth were just coming through one rift. These 'ghosts' are appearing over the entire planet."

"Like tracing paper," the Doctor added.

"You're always doing this. Reducing it to science. Why can't it be real?" Jackie asked angrily, but the Doctor ignored her. "Just think of it, though... all the people we've lost, our families coming back home. Don't you think it's beautiful?"

The Doctor looked up from his work. "I think it's horrific." Jackie stared at him in shock.

I gave Jackie a sympathetic look. "I know it's hard to loose a loved one, but we need to learn to move on."

"Rose, give us a hand," the Doctor called. He started unwinding a cable, leading it through into the TARDIS, Rose and I following. He plugged the cable into the console. I glanced at the door as Jackie came in. "As soon as it becomes activated, if that line goes into the red, press that button there. If it doesn't stop...Setting 15B, hold it against the port, eight seconds and stop." The Doctor explained rapidly, brandishing his sonic screwdriver under Rose's nose, causing her to go cross-eyed.

Rose nodded in understanding. "15B, eight seconds."

"If it goes into the blue, activate the deep scan on the left," I told her.

"Hang on a minute, I know..." Rose leaned over the console and pointed to a button. "It's that one."

"Mm, close," the Doctor said.

Rose pointed to another one. "That one?"

"Now you've just killed us," I told her with a chuckle.

Rose giggled. "Eh... that one."

The Doctor grinned. "Yeah! Now, what've we got? Two minutes to go?" He glanced over at Jackie as she checked her watch. The Doctor and I walked out of the TARDIS. The Doctor pressed his Ghostbuster device to each of the cones we had set up.

"Is the line holding?" I shouted at Rose, who was back in the TARDIS.

"Yeah," she shouted back.

"Here we go!" The Doctor shouted as he finished with the cones.

"The scanner's working, it says 'delta one six'," Rose replied.

"Come on you beauty!" The Doctor said excitedly, practically buzzing with anticipation. I giggled at his enthusiasm. I returned my attention to the triangle of cones as a ghost materialized in the middle. Tendrils of blue electricity shot from each of the cones and connected to the next and created a cage around the ghost. The Doctor pulled out a pair of 3D glasses and watched the ghost. He adjusted a setting on his equipment, which caused the ghosts to shudder and groan. "Don't like that much, do you?" He laughed. "Who are you? Where are you coming from? Whoa!" He jerked back as the ghost took a swipe at him. "That's more like it! Not so friendly now, are you?" A moment later, the ghost disappeared. I helped the Doctor gather up the equipment. We darted into the TARDIS and set the equipment down. The Doctor tossed his coat over the railing. "I said so! Those ghosts have been forced into existence for one specific point! And I can track down the source. Allons-y!" He pulled a lever and the TARDIS shudder, causing him and Rose to fall back into the chair and me to topple to the ground.

"Ow," I muttered, rubbing my sore bottom.

"Oops, sorry," the Doctor apologized, coming over and helping me up. He began running around the console, pressing random buttons and he rambled. "I like that. 'Allons-y'. I should say 'allons-y' more often. 'Allons-y'. Watch out, Rose Tyler! Allons-y!" I rolled my eyes, an amused smile tugging at my lips. My smile fell slightly when I noticed a certain blonde sitting on the gantries.

' _Oh, boy,_ ' I thought, shifting my gaze back to the still rambling Doctor.

"And then, it would be really brilliant if I met someone called Allonzo. Because then I could say, 'allons-y, Allonzo!' Every time! You're both staring at me," the Doctor finished, finally noticing that Rose and I were looking at him.

"My mum's still on board," Rose whispered.

"If we end up on Mars, I'm gonna kill you," Jackie snapped from her perch on the gantries.

"I'll let you," I told her, glancing at the horrified Doctor and sharing a smirk with Rose.

The TARDIS landed in what appeared to be a storage area. We watched from the monitor as soldier burst into the room, got into position, guns trained on the TARDIS. "So much for the element of surprise," I muttered.

The Doctor sighed. "Oh, well. Still! Cuts to the chase. Stay in here, look after Jackie." He strode towards the doors.

"I'm not letting you go out there by yourself," I told him as Rose and I trailed after him.

"I'm not looking after my mum!" Rose added.

"Well, you brought her!" The Doctor retorted.

"I was kidnapped!" Jackie snapped.

Rose pushed her way to block the Doctor path to the doors. "Doctor, they've got guns."

"And I haven't. Which makes me the better person, don't you think?" He replied, moving Rose out of the way.

I crossed my arms and moved in front of him. "Having the moral high-ground isn't going to do you a whole lot of good when you're dead," I pointed out, staring up at him sternly.

He sighed, placing a hand on my cheek. "Wonder, please just stay here, where I know you're safe."

My gaze softened a bit. "Fine," I agreed reluctantly. "But if at any moment I feel you're about to get yourself in trouble, I will come get you." He nodded and stepped out of the door. I cracked the door open just enough to see what was going on. The Doctor had his hands raised defensively.

A woman in a business suit hurried into the room and grinned when she saw the Doctor. "Oh...! Oh, how marvelous," she said excitedly, clapping. "Oh, very good. Superb. Happy day!" All the soldier followed her lead.

"Um. Thanks," the Doctor said, tentatively lowering his hands. "Nice to meet you. I'm... the Doctor."

"Oh, I should say! Hurray!" The woman said, beginning another round of clapping.

"You... you've heard of me, then?" The Doctor asked, a bit surprised.

"Well of course we have," the woman replied enthusiastically. "And I have to say, if it wasn't for you, none of us would be here. The Doctor and the TARDIS!" She began clapping once again. The Doctor grinned as he started to enjoy the attention. I rolled my eyes. As if the Doctor's ego wasn't big enough.

The Doctor held up his hand for silence. "And... and... and you are?"

"Oh, plenty of time for that," the woman dismissed, causing me to narrow my eyes. "But according to the records, you're not one for traveling alone. The Doctor, his Wonder, and their companion. That's a pattern isn't it, right?" The Doctor and I stared at her. How did she know that? "There's no point hiding anything. Not from us." She smiled sinisterly. "So where are they?" The Doctor stood there frozen.

I decided there was no point in hiding anymore, so I opened the TARDIS door and stepped out, making sure Rose and Jackie remained hidden. "You know, you really shouldn't applaud him. His head is big enough as it is. But the question is, how did you know about us?"

' _What are you doing?_ ' The Doctor asked me through our link.

' _There was no point in me hiding,'_ I replied. ' _She knew about me, question is how? All traces of us should have been wiped with the virus you gave Mickey._ '

"Ah! You must be Wonder," the woman said, smiling. "But where is your companion?"

"...Yes! Sorry. Good point. She's just a bit shy, that's all," the Doctor replied, jumping slightly. He opened the TARDIS door a bit more and reached in. "But here she is: Rose Tyler." Only it wasn't Rose he had pulled out. It was Jackie. He looked her up and down. "Hmm. She's not the best I've ever had. Bit too blonde. Not too steady on her pins. A lot of that." He mimed chatting causing Jackie to glare at him and the woman to laugh. "And just last week, she stared into the heart of the Time Vortex and aged fifty-seven years. But she'll do."

"I'm 40!" Jackie snapped indignantly.

The Doctor shrugged. "Deluded. Bless. I'll have to trade her in. Do you need anyone? She's very good at tea. Well, I say very good, I mean not bad. Well. I say not bad... anyway! Lead on. But not too fast. Her ankle's going."

"I'll show you where my ankle's going," Jackie hissed to the Doctor as the woman lead the way out of the storage area. I smirked a bit despite the situation.

"It was only a matter of time until you found us. And at last you've made it. I'd like to welcome you, Doctor and Wonder," the woman said, opening a door to reveal a huge factory full of alien artifacts and scientists working on them. "Welcome... to Torchwood."

"That's a Jathar Sunglider," the Doctor said, staring at a giant spaceship about us.

"Came down to Earth off the Shetland Islands ten years ago," the woman replied.

"Did it crash?" I asked, though I a nasty feeling that wasn't the answer.

"No, we shot it down," the woman said, confirming my suspicion. "It violated our airspace. Then we stripped it bare. Would've destroyed the Sycorax on Christmas Day, but someone called us off."

I glared at her. I knew the name had sounded familiar. "Well, you have me to thank for that," I told her.

"Oh, so that was you," the woman said, turning to me. "Well, I suppose that makes sense. You are known for you're compassion and mercy, though I don't know why you bothered with the Sycorax. Now if you'd like to come with me." I clenched my hands into fists as she walked off. The Doctor placed a hand on my shoulder.

' _Calm down. We'll get to the bottom of this,_ ' he assured me. I took a deep breath and nodded.

"The Torchwood Institute has a motto: 'if it's alien, it's ours'," the woman continued as we followed her. "Anything that comes from the sky, we strip it down, and we use it. For the good of the British Empire."

"For the good of the what?" Jackie asked.

"The British Empire," the woman replied simply.

"There isn't a British Empire."

The woman smirked. "Not yet. Ah, excuse me..." She took a weapon from a nearby soldier. "Now, if you wouldn't mind... do you recognize this, Doctor, Wonder?"

"That's a particle gun," the Doctor answered.

The woman grinned proudly "Good, isn't it?" She jerked the gun away from Jackie as she reached out to touch it. "Took us eight years to get it to work."

"It's the twenty-first century," I pointed out. "You can't have particle guns."

She shrugged, handing the gun back to the soldier. "We must defend our border against the alien. Thank you... Sebastian, isn't it?"

The soldier nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Thank you, Sebastian," the woman smiled, turing back to the Doctor, Jackie, and I. "I think it's very important to know everyone by name. Torchwood is a very modern organization. People skills. That's what it's all about these days. I'm a people person."

"Have you got anyone called Allonzo?" The Doctor asked curiously. I groaned mentally.

"No, I don't think so. Is that important?" The woman asked.

"I suppose not. What was your name?" The Doctor asked, walking off to examine other artifacts.

"Yvonne. Yvonne Hartman," she replied.

I walked over to a box and peered in. ' _Doctor, check these out_ ,' I called mentally, pulling out two larger artifacts. He came over to examine them.

"Ah yes. Now, we're rather fond of these," Yvonne said, coming over. "The Magnaclamp. Found in a spaceship buried at the base of Mount Snowdon. Attach this to an object and it cancels the mass. I could use it to lift two tonnes of weight with a single hand. That's an imperial ton, by the way. Torchwood refuses to go metric."

"I could do with that to carry the shopping," Jackie commented.

"All these devices are for Torchwood's benefit. Not the general public's," Yvonne patronized.

"So, what about these ghosts?" The Doctor asked.

"As yes, the ghosts. They're er... what you might call a side effect."

I raised an eyebrow. "Of what?"

"All in good time, Wonder. There is an itinerary, trust me," Yvonne said. A truck drove by with the TARDIS perched on the back.

"Oi! Where're you taking that?" Jackie asked.

"If it's alien, it's ours," Yvonne replied simply.

"You'll never get inside it," the Doctor told her.

Yvonne chuckled. "Hm! Et cetera." As she walked away, the Doctor and I watched the TARDIS. The door cracked open and we could just barely see Rose peeking through the crack. The Doctor gave her a small encouraging nod before we followed Yvonne.

"All those times I've been on Earth, I've never heard of you," he commented to Yvonne.

"But of course not," Yvonne scoffed. "You're the enemy. You're actually named in the Torchwood Foundation Charter of 1879 as an enemy of the Crown."

"Wasn't that the manor in Scotland in 1879?" I asked.

Yvonne's nodded. "That's right. Where you encountered Queen Victoria and the werewolf."

"I think they make half of it up," Jackie pipped up.

"Her Majesty created the Torchwood Institute with the express intention of keeping Britain great. And fighting the alien horde," Yvonne explained.

"But if I'm the enemy, does that mean that I'm a prisoner?" The Doctor asked curiously.

"Oh yes. You and Wonder both. The Queen may not have mentioned Wonder, but she's an alien like you so I believe that includes her," Yvonne replied. We stopped outside a large black door. "But we'll make you perfectly comfortable. And there is so much you can teach us. Starting with this." She pressed her ID card to the digital lock and opened the door. We walked in and saw a huge, black sphere floating at one end of the room. My jaw dropped at the sight of it. "Now, what do you make of that?"

A scientist walked over to us. "You must be the Doctor and Wonder. Rajesh Singh. It's an honor, sir, ma'am." He held out his hand, but the Doctor and I ignored it, too preoccupied with the sphere.

"What is that thing?" Jackie asked.

Yvonne shrugged. "We got no idea."

"But what's wrong with it?"

"What makes you think there's something wrong with it?" Rajesh asked.

"I dunno... just feels weird," Jackie replied, eyeing the sphere.

' _That's not what I think it is, is it?'_ I asked the Doctor.

' _Looks like it,_ ' he replied, darting forward and up a set of steps leading to the sphere.

"Well, the sphere has that effect on everyone," Yvonne said. "Makes you wanna run and hide. Like it's forbidden."

"We tried analyzing it using every device imaginable," Rajesh added. I joined the Doctor as he slipped on his 3D glasses and inspected the sphere. "But, according to our instruments, the sphere doesn't exist. It weighs nothing. It doesn't age. No heat. No radiation. And, has no atomic mass."

"But I can see it!" Jackie insisted.

Rajesh smiled. "Fascinating, isn't it? It upsets people because it gives off... nothing. It is... absent."

"Well, Doctor?" Yvonne asked.

"This is a Void Ship," he answered.

"And what is that?"

"Well, it's impossible for starters," the Doctor said, folding his glasses. "I always thought it was just a theory, but... it's a vessel designed to exist outside time and space. Traveling through the Void." He sat down on the bottom step and I stood behind him, placing my hands comfortingly on his shoulders.

"And what's 'the Void'?" Rajesh asked.

"The space between dimensions," I supplied, allowing the Doctor a bit of time to think. "There's all sorts of realities around us, different dimensions, billions of parallel universes all stacked up against each other. I should know, I lived in one for a while as a human." Yvonne raised her eyebrows in curiosity. "Anyway, the Void is the space in-between. Containing absolutely nothing. That's how it got its name. It's void of anything and everything. Nothing, not even time. Our people called it the Void, the Eternals call it the Howling. But some people call it Hell."

"But someone built the sphere. What for? Why go there?"

I shrugged. "To explore. To escape. You could sit inside that thing and eternity would pass you by. The Big Bang... end of the universe, start of the next, wouldn't even touch the sides. You'd exist outside the whole of creation."

"You see, we were right. There is something inside it," Yvonne said, smiling smugly.

The Doctor looked up and locked eyes with her. "Oh yes," he replied sinisterly. Yvonne blinked, a bit taken aback by his tone.

"So how do we get in there," Rajesh asked.

The Doctor shot to his feet. "We don't! We send that thing back into Hell. How did it get here in the first place?"

"Well, that's how it all started. The sphere came through into this world, and the ghosts followed in its wake," Yvonne explained.

"Show me," the Doctor demanded. He strode off, turning left once outside the door.

"No, Doctor," Yvonne called. He walked back the other way and I sighed. Yvonne led us to a long, white room. "The sphere came through here. A hole in the world," she explained. The Doctor ran his hand over the bare white wall at the end of the room. "Not active at the moment. But when we fire particle engines at that exact spot, the breech opens up."

"How did you even find it?" I asked curiously.

"Well, we were getting warning signs for years. A radar black-spot. So we built this place. Torchwood Tower. The breech was six hundred foot above sea level. It was on the only way to reach it."

The Doctor slipped his 3D glasses on again. "You built a skyscraper just to reach a spatial disturbance? How much money have you got?"

"Enough," Yvonne replied simply. She walked off while the Doctor continued to stare at the wall.

' _They've just been opening a hole in the fabric of reality, without even thinking of the consequences. Typical humans,_ ' I grumbled mentally. ' _Why can't they ever leave things alone._ '

' _There too curious for their own good,_ ' the Doctor replied. He strode over to where Yvonne and Jackie stood. "So, you find the breech, probe it, the sphere comes through. Six hundred feet above London, bam. It leaves a hole in the fabric of reality. And that hole, you think, 'oh, shall we leave it alone? Shall we back off? Shall we play it safe?' Nah, you think 'let's make it bigger!'"

"It's a massive source of energy," Yvonne retorted. "If we can harness that power, we need never depend on the Middle East again. Britain will become truly independent. Look, you can see for yourself. Next Ghost Shift's in two minutes."

"Cancel it."

"I don't think so," Yvonne replied flatly.

"I'm warning you, cancel it," the Doctor demanded angrily.

"Oh, exactly as the legends would have it. The Doctor, lording it over us. Assuming alien authority over the rights of Man," Yvonne mocked.

"How about a demonstration then," I said. I reached into the Doctor's jacket for his sonic screwdriver and moved to the other side of the glass window of Yvonne's office. "Sphere comes through." I pointed the sonic at the glass and activated it. The glass splintered and the cracks extended outward as I spoke. "But when it made the hole, it cracked the world around it. The entire surface of this dimension, splintered. And that's how the ghosts get through. That's how they get everywhere. They're bleeding through the fault lines. Walking from their world, across the Void, and into yours. With the Human Race hoping and wishing and helping them along! But too many ghosts, and..." I lightly touched the glass and the entire window shattered.

"Well, in that case we'll have to be more careful," Yvonne decided, turning to the staff. "Positions! Ghost Shift in one minute." I growled in frustration. Why do people never listen?

"Ms Hartman, I am asking you, please, don't do it," the Doctor pleaded.

"We have done this a thousand times."

"Then stop at a thousand!" The Doctor replied furiously.

"We are in control of the ghosts," Yvonne insisted. "The levers can open the breech, but equally they can close it." She and the Doctor stared at each other.

' _I think it's time for another strategy,_ ' I told the Doctor.

' _I think you're right,_ ' he replied. "Okay." He walked over to Yvonne's office and grabbed a chair.

Yvonne blinked in surprise. "Sorry?!"

"Never mind! As you were."

"What, is that it?"

"No! Fair enough. Said my bit," the Doctor said, settling down in his chair and pulling me into his lap. "Don't mind us. Any chance of a cup of tea?"

"I'll take coffee if you have any," I added. "I take lots of creamer though."

"Ghost Shift in twenty seconds," a dark skinned woman announced.

"Mm! Can't wait to see it!" The Doctor said, putting on a fake smile.

Yvonne narrowed her eyes at him. "You can't stop us, Doctor."

"No, absolutely not!" The Doctor turned to Jackie. "Pull up a chair, Rose! Come and watch the fireworks."

"Ghost Shift in ten seconds. Nine... eight..." Yvonne fidgeted uneasily, staring at the Doctor and I. We raised our eyebrows at her, daring her to go through with the ghost shift. "Seven... six... five... four... three... two..."

"Stop the shift. I said stop," Yvonne decided.

I smiled at her. "Thank you." While I hadn't gotten any visions that would indicate that anyone was going to be in danger if they started the ghost shift, that didn't mean anything. Just because something dangerous was going to happen, that didn't guarantee I would get a vision.

Yvonne sighed. "I suppose it makes sense to get as much intelligence as possible. But the program will recommence, as soon as you've explained everything."

"We're glad to be of help," the Doctor replied.

"And someone clear up this glass," Yvonne ordered. "They did warn me, Doctor. They said you like to make a mess. I guess they should have warned me about Wonder too." She disappeared into her office. After another glance at the wall, the Doctor and I followed Yvonne. The Doctor made himself comfortable in a chair, propping his feet up on Yvonne's desk. Normally, I would have gotten after him for that, but I didn't like Yvonne so I let it pass. I stood behind him, leaning my arms in the back of his chair. "So these ghosts, whatever they are, did they build the sphere?" Yvonne asked, her gaze lingering on the Doctor's feet crossed on her desk. She wisely decided not to say anything.

"Must have. Aimed it at this dimension like a canon ball," the Doctor mused. I, however, wasn't so sure. I didn't like whatever these ghosts things were, but something told me that they weren't the ones to build that sphere. Unfortunately, it was the only logical explanation right now, so I chose to keep quiet.

" **Yvonne? I think you should see this,** " Rajesh said through the webcam on Yvonne's laptop. " **We've got a visitor. We don't know who she is, but funnily enough, she arrived at the same time as the Doctor and Wonder.** " My hearts sunk. They had found Rose.

Yvonne turned her laptop around. Rose was sitting next to Rajesh. "She one of yours?"

"Never seen her before in my life," the Doctor replied, shaking his head.

"Good! Then we can have her shot," Yvonne decided.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on her," I growled, straightening up and glaring daggers at Yvonne. She turned to me and raised her eyebrows as if daring me to do something. The Doctor reached over his shoulder and placed his hand over mine.

' _Calm down. I won't let anything happen to Rose,_ ' he assured me.

' _You just claimed we didn't know her,_ ' I retorted.

' _I did that in the hopes they wouldn't think we were trying to infiltrate Torchwood._ '

' _Well that worked well, didn't it?_ ' I snapped sarcastically.

' _I'll take care of it,_ ' he assured me. I sighed mentally and released the tight grip I had on his shoulders. "Well, it was worth a try," he said, taking his feet off the desk and sitting up. "That's... that's Rose Tyler."

" **Sorry. Hello!** " Rose said, waving.

"You all right, Rose?" I asked as the Doctor waved back.

" **Yeah, I'm fine,** " she assured me.

"Well, if that's Rose Tyler, who's she?" Yvonne asked, looking at Jackie.

"I'm her mother," Jackie replied.

Yvonne raised her eyebrows. "Oh, you travel with her mother?"

"He kidnapped me," Jackie snapped.

"He didn't kidnap you, Jackie. He was just too excited to find where the ghosts were coming from to notice you were still on board," I told her with a sigh.

"Please, when Torchwood comes to write my complete history, don't tell people I travelled through time and space with her mother," the Doctor pleaded with Yvonne.

"Charming," Jackie grumbled, causing me to smirk slightly.

"I've got a reputation to uphold!" The Doctor added.

"You poor baby," I chuckled, causing the Doctor to pout at me. We all snapped our heads around at the sound of engines starting. I scanned the room and noticed with horror that the levers controlling the ghost shift were turning on.

"Excuse me? Everyone? I thought I said stop the ghost shift," Yvonne snapped. All the staff ignored her. "Who started the program? But... I ordered you to stop! Who's doing that?!" She demanded gesturing to the moving levers. "Step away from the monitors, everyone." No one listened as they continued staring at their screens and typing. Yvonne began to panic. "Gareth, Addy, stop what you're doing, right now! Matt. Step away from your desk. That's an order! Stop the levers!" Two scientist rushed over and attempted to push the levers back down. "Stop the levers!"

The Doctor rushed over to a dark skinned woman who was staring straight at her screen, unblinking. "What's she doing?"

"Addy? Step away from the desk," Yvonne ordered, coming over. I came over and clicked my fingers in front of Addy's face, but she didn't respond. "Listen to me. Step away from the desk."

"She can't hear you," the Doctor said, looking at the screen. "They're overriding the system." We all stared anxiously at the blank wall. "We're going into Ghost Shift." The light from the wall continued to get brighter.

"Doctor," I said, pointing to Addy's familiar ear-piece.

"It's the ear-piece controlling them," he realized. "I've seen this before." He pulled his sonic screwdriver out and backed up. "Sorry. I'm so sorry," he apologized softly before activating it. Addy screamed in pain along with her colleges and slumped over her desk, dead.

"What happened? What did you just do?" Yvonne demanded.

"They're dead."

"You killed them," Jackie said in horror.

"They were dead before we got here," I said sadly. How could they be here?

"But you killed them!" Jackie insisted.

"Jackie, I haven't got time for this," the Doctor snapped angrily.

"What're those ear-pieces?" Yvonne asked.

"Don't."

"But they're standard comms. Devices, how does it control them?"

The Doctor went over to another computer. "Trust me, leave them alone."

"But what are they?" Yvonne asked, reaching for Addy's ear-piece. I grabbed her wrist before she could touch it.

"He said don't touch them," I told her firmly. I released her wrist. "Those ear-pieces connect directly to their brains. That's how it controls them."

"That's disgusting," Yvonne said, wrinkling her nose.

"What about the Ghost Shift?" The Doctor asked, still typing away.

"Ninety percent there," Yvonne replied. "It's still running. Can't you stop it?"

The Doctor shook his head. "They're still controlling it. They've hi-jacked the system."

"Who's they?"

"It would most likely be a remote transmitter," I mused. "You should be able to trace it with the sonic."

"Of course!" The Doctor exclaimed. He pulled out the sonic again and held it in his palm. He took off, apparently receiving a signal. "Jackie, stay here!" He shouted as he ran, Yvonne and I hot on his heels.

"You two, you come with us," Yvonne ordered two soldiers as we passed.

The soldiers nodded and fell into step with us. "Yes, ma'am."

Finally, we reached a curtained area. "What's down here?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't... I dunno, I think it's building work. It's just renovations," Yvonne answered.

"You should go back," the Doctor said, walking forward cautiously.

"Think again."

The Doctor turned to me, but I cut him off before he could say anything. "If you think I'm going to go back without you, you've got another thing coming," I snapped. He looked like he wanted to argue, but wisely chose not to say anything. Yvonne and I followed the Doctor as he pushed aside the curtains. The sonic beeped and he glanced down at it.

"What is it? What's down here?" Yvonne asked anxiously.

"Ear-pieces, ear-pods, this world is colliding with another," the Doctor muttered, his brow furrowed. "And I think I know which one."

' _But how is that possible?_ ' I asked the Doctor. ' _We sealed the door to that universe._ '

' _I don't know,_ ' he replied. Just then, a shadow appeared behind the curtains. My hearts stopped. I would recognize that shadow anywhere.

"What are they?" Yvonne whispered.

"They came through advance guard," the Doctor said as the shadow stepped through the curtain.

"Cybermen," I finished. The two soldiers open fired at the Cybermen, with no effect. The Doctor, Yvonne, and I attempted to escape, but found with horror that we were surrounded.

" **Halt** ," one of the Cybermen ordered, marching up to us. " **You have been identified as the enemies known as the Doctor and Wonder. You will come with us.** " The Doctor, Yvonne, and I followed the Cybermen back to the rift chamber, our hand behind our heads defensively.

"Get away from the machines, do what they say, don't fight them!" The Doctor ordered the scientist in the rift chamber. One of the scientists didn't move fast enough and was shot.

"What are they?" Jackie asked, absolutely terrified.

" **We are the Cybermen. The Ghost Shift will be increased to one hundred percent,** " one Cyberman declared. He clamped a fist to his chest and the levers controlling the ghost shift started to rise.

" **Online** ," a computer announced. The light signaling to opening of the rift got brighter.

"Here come the ghosts," the Doctor said. I squinted, trying my best to see through the blinding light. The ghosts appeared, but this time, they sounded like marching Cybermen.

"These Zybermen, what've they got to do with the ghosts?" Jackie asked.

"They _are_ the Cyberman, Jackie," I told her. "Remember what the Doctor said? A footprint doesn't look like a boot."

" **Achieving full transfer** ," the Cyberman announced. The ghosts continued to march from the light, becoming more and more distinguishable as Cybermen.

"Millions of them. Right across the world," the Doctor said. We could see there were hundreds of Cybermen standing in the light, ready for war.

"They're invading the whole planet," Yvonne realized in horror.

The Doctor shook his head. "It's not an invasion, it's too late for that. It's a victory." We turned around at a beeping sound. Yvonne's laptop was flashing "sphere activated" over and over. The Doctor and I stared at it, brows furrowed in concentration. Why would the arrival of the Cybermen cause the sphere to activate? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. The Doctor turned to a nearby Cyberman. "What I don't understand is Cybermen don't have the technology to build the Void Ship, that's way beyond you. How did you create that sphere?"

" **The sphere is not ours** ," the Cyberman responded.

The Doctor blinked in shock. "...What?"

" **The sphere broke down the barriers between worlds. We only followed. Its origin is unknown.** "

"Then what's inside it?" I asked.

"Rose is down there," Jackie said fearfully.

I turned to her. "Rose will be alright. She's tough," I assured Jackie, hoping I was right. If the sphere wasn't the Cybermen's, I could only imagine what horrors lay inside it.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Please review and let me know. I could use all the motivation you guys can give. By the way I just updated chapters 9 and 10. Till next time!  
**


	29. Doomsday

**Hello readers! I'm so sorry for the long wait. I had finals to deal with. But they are over now so hopefully I should have more time to write. I want to thank everyone who has been reviewing my chapters. I always appreciate hearing from my readers. Anyway, here is the final chapter of season 2. Hope you guys have a box of tissues close by. On with the chapter!**

* * *

 _Previously_

 _I turned to her. "Rose will be alright. She's tough," I assured Jackie, hoping I was right. If the sphere wasn't the Cybermen's, I could only imagine what horrors lay inside it._

* * *

"What's down there?" Jackie asked, her voice shaking slightly. "She was in that room with the sphere. What's happened to Rose?"

"I don't know," the Doctor snapped from his place against the wall. Jackie choked out a sob and I quickly wrapped my arms around her.

"Shhh," I said softly, rubbing her back in an attempt to comfort her. "I know you're worried about her, so am I. But of there is one thing I have learned while traveling with Rose, it's that she's tough. She's smart and knows how to hold her own." I gave Jackie a small reassuring smile. "She's even saved the Doctor and I when we've gotten in trouble, which is quite a lot to be honest."

The Doctor walked over. "I'll find her. I brought you here, I'll get you both out. You and your daughter," he assured Jackie. Jackie continued to sniffle. "Jackie, look at me. Look at me." She looked up at the Doctor, her eyes red from crying. "I promise you. I give you my word."

A Cyberman marched over to Yvonne, who was sitting at her desk. " **You will talk to your central world authority and order global surrender,** " it ordered

"Oh, do some research," Yvonne snapped without even a trace of fear. "We haven't got a central world authority." I raised my eyebrows slightly. Not many people would dare to snap at a Cyberman.

" **You have now** ," the Cyberman replied. " **I will speak on all global wavelengths.** " The Doctor slipped on his 3D glasses again as the Cyberman spoke to the world. " **This broadcast is for human kind. Cybermen now occupy every land mass on this planet. But you need not fear. Cybermen will remove fear. Cybermen will remove sex and class and color and creed. You will become identical. You will become like us.** " The Doctor, Jackie, Yvonne, one of the Cybermen, and I watched from the window as explosions and fires erupted all over London. The people were fighting back. " **I ordered surrender,** " the Cyberman said.

"They're not taking instructions. Don't you understand?" The Doctor snapped, his arms crossed angrily. "You're on every street, you're in their homes. You've got their children. Of course they're gonna fight."

" **Scans detect unknown technology active within sphere chamber,** " a Cyberman reported.

" **Cybermen will investigate,** " another Cyberman declared.

A Cyberman pushed two terrified staff members ahead of it. " **Units 10 65 and 10 66 will investigate sphere chamber.** "

" **We obey,** " two more Cybermen replied.

I turned to the Doctor as the two Cybermen marched off. ' _What do you think is down there?_ '

' _I don't know, but I doubt it's anything good,_ ' the Doctor replied. I gulped as I turned back to watch the Cybermen. I was really worried about Rose.

" **Units open visual link** ," a Cyberman demanded. A live video feed from the two Cybermen appeared on Yvonne's laptop. " **Visual contact established.** " As the Cybermen rounded a corned, a very familiar pepper pot rolled into view. My eyes widened in horror.

" **Identify yourselves** ," the Dalek demanded of the Cybermen.

' _No!_ ' I thought in despair. ' _Why do they always survive?_ ' I felt the Doctor slide his hand into mine. I glanced at him helplessly. He gave me a sad look, squeezing my hand in comfort, before turning back to the video feed.

" **You will identify first** ," the Cybermen ordered.

" **State your identity,** " the Dalek demanded.

" **You will identify first.** "

" **Identify!** "

" **Illogical, you will modify.** "

" **Daleks do not take orders.** "

" **You have identified as Daleks.** "

"Rose said about the Daleks," Jackie whispered. "She was terrified of them. What have they done to her, Doctor? Is she dead?"

The Doctor let go of my hand and spun around to face Jackie. "Phone," he demanded quietly through gritted teeth.

Jackie stared at him. "What did you...?"

"Phone!" He repeated more firmly. I was too worried about Rose to bother getting after him for being rude. Jackie handed over her phone carefully so the Cybermen didn't notice. The Doctor snatched the phone and dialed Rose's number. He held the phone to his ear, worry evident on his face.

"She's answered, she's alive," the Doctor announced quietly after a tense moment. I smiled in relief while Jackie clasped a hand over her mouth. "Why haven't they killed her?"

"Well, don't complain!" Jackie snapped in a harsh whisper.

"They must need her for something," I mused quietly. What could the Daleks need her for?

"The Genesis Ark?" The Doctor wondered. I furrowed by brows thoughtfully. What was a Genesis Ark? The Doctor slipped his 3D glasses on again and peered at the laptop.

" **Our species our similar, though your design is inelegant** ," the Cybermen said.

" **Daleks have no concept of elegance** ," the Dalek replied.

" **This is obvious.** " I raised my brows. Who knew a Cyberman could be sassy. " **But consider, our technologies are compatible. Cybermen plus Daleks, together, we could upgrade the Universe.** "

" **You propose an alliance?** "

" **This is correct.** "

" **Request denied.** "

The Cybermen thrust out their arms, ready to shoot. " **Hostile elements will be deleted.** " They fired at the Dalek, but the rays simply bounced off.

" **Exterminate!** " The Dalek screeched. It fired at the Cybermen and they collapsed, cutting off our video feed.

" **Open visual link** ," a Cyberman ordered. Another video appeared on the laptop screen. " **Daleks, be warned: you have declared war upon the Cybermen.** "

" **This is not war. This is pest control,** " a different Dalek replied.

" **We have five million Cybermen. How many are you?** "

" **Four**." The Doctor began to pace as he listened to the Dalek side of the conversation.

" **You would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks?!** "

" **We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek. You are superior in only one respect.** "

" **What is that?** "

" **You are better at dying. Raise communications barrier!** " The screen went dark.

"Lost her," the Doctor said. I sighed in frustration.

" **Quarantine the Sphere Chamber. Start emergency upgrading. Begin with these personnel** ," the Cyberman said. A couple of Cybermen grabbed the Doctor, Jackie, Yvonne and I.

"No, you can't do this! We surrendered! We surrendered!" Yvonne yelled, struggling as the Cybermen dragged her away. The Doctor, Jackie, and I also began to struggle as we were dragged.

One Cyberman approached us. " **These two increased adrenaline suggests they have vital Dalek information,** " it announced as it stood before the Doctor and I.

"You promised me! You gave me your word!" Jackie shouted as the Cybermen dragged her and Yvonne away.

"Jackie!" I yelled, struggling widely against the Cyberman holding me. "Let her go!"

"I'll think of something!" The Doctor shouted after Jackie as she disappeared.

"Jackie!" I cried out again. We had promised to keep her and Rose safe. My eyes watered, but I refused to cry in front on the Cybermen. The Cybermen holding the Doctor and I deposited us in Yvonne's office. I sat next to the Doctor and leaned my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me, drawing me close.

' _We will get out of this and find Jackie and Rose. I promise,'_ he told me, resting his cheek on the top of my head. I nodded sadly. ' _I don't suppose you've had a vision or anything?_ '

I sighed. ' _No. Besides they only seem to come right before the event, so we wouldn't be of much use if anything happened to Rose or Jackie,_ ' I replied sadly.

A Cyberman marched up to us. " **You are proof** ," it stated.

The Doctor raised his head. "Of what?" He asked.

" **That emotions destroy you.** "

"Yeah, I am," the Doctor replied, smiling sadly. Just then I noticed the air behind the Cyberman shimmering. I nudged the Doctor and gestured with my head. "Mind you, I quite like hope. Hope's a good emotion. And here it comes." The Cyberman turned around in time to see a group of people dressed in black suits and wearing gas masks and carrying guns appear. One of them shouted a command to the others and they shot at the row of Cybermen behind them, blowing them up. The Doctor quickly grabbed me and hauled me behind a chair, placing himself over me protectively. One of the people shot the Cyberman who had talked to the Doctor and I. The Doctor and I poked our heads up from behind the chair.

"Doctor, Wonder, good to see you again," the man said, taking off his helmet. My eyes widened as I recognized the man.

"Jake?!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"The Cybermen came through from one world to another, and so did we," Jake said proudly. The Doctor and I exchanged concerned glances. How exactly did they get through? Jake turned to his group. "Defend this room. Chrissie, monitor communications." The Doctor slipped on his 3D glasses and surveyed the group. "Kill one Cyber Leader and they just download into another. Move!" Everyone rushed to obey their orders, leaving the Doctor and I alone with Jake.

"You can't just... just... just hop from one world to another. You can't," the Doctor protested.

"We just did. With these," Jake replied, pulling out a large yellow button on a chain and tossing it to the Doctor.

The Doctor and I examined the button. "But that's impossible. You can't have this sort of technology."

"We've got our own version of Torchwood. They developed it. Do you wanna come and see?" Jake asked.

"No!" The Doctor shouted, but it was too late. Jake slammed his hand in his own button and he and the Doctor disappeared, leaving me alone.

I stood there, blinking. What on earth was going on? "You two," I called to the two soldiers guarding the door. "How did you guys get the technology to jump between parallel worlds?"

"Our version of Torchwood developed it after the Cybermen disappeared through the void," the male guard replied.

"You shouldn't have this technology," I said, staring at them sternly. "Don't you realize that you tear a hole in the universe every time you jump?" They simply stared at me. I sighed in frustration and ran a hand through my hair. "How long ago did the Cybermen disappear into the void?"

"Three years ago our time," the female guard said.

"Must have been from the sheer number of Cybermen coming through at once," I mused. "I'm assuming your world has started getting a bit warmer?" They nodded. "That would be as a result from the universe hopping. You rip a hole in the universe each time you jump. Pretty soon both our wolds will fall into the void if the breach isn't sealed."

"Mickey was right," the man commented, seeming quite impressed, "you do know a lot about this stuff."

"Where is Mickey anyway? I would've thought he would have come over with Jake," I said.

"He came ahead to find a Rose Tyler," the woman answered.

My eyes widened. "Which means he's probably down with the Daleks." Just then the Doctor and Jake reappeared, but they weren't alone. They had brought Pete Tyler. "Doctor!" I called to the Time Lord in relief as he appeared.

"Wonder!" He quickly rushed over and hugged me. "You okay?"

I nodded. "I'm fine."

"Good. I need you to call Jackie," the Doctor told me. "We need to make sure she's alive." I nodded and pulled out my phone, dialing Jackie's number. I put it on speaker phone and held it between the Doctor and I.

"You two, guard to door," Jake ordered the two soldier I had been talking to.

" **Help me! Oh, my gosh, help me** ," Jackie cried as she answered.

"Jackie, you're alive!" The Doctor exclaimed in relief and I grinned. "Listen-"

" **They tried to download me but I ran away!** " Jackie interrupted.

The Doctor shushed her. "Listen, tell me, where are you?"

" **I don't know! Staircase,** " she replied.

"Which one?" I asked. "Is there anything on the walls, like a sign or something?"

" **Yes! A fire extinguisher!** "

"Yeah, that helps," the Doctor snapped sarcastically

" **Oh, wait a minute, it says 'N3'** ," Jackie said.

"North corner, staircase 3," the Doctor said.

"Just keep running, Jackie. We're on our way," I assured her.

" **No, don't leave me!** " She shouted, panicking.

"We've got to go, I'm sorry. See you in a bit," I told her, hanging up.

"Jacqueline Andrea Suzette Tyler," the Doctor said, turning to Pete, who had been listening to the whole conversation.

"She's not my wife," Peter declared.

"Wonder and I were at the wedding. You got her name wrong," the Doctor replied. He strolled over to Jake and took his gun. "Now then, Jake-y boy, if I can open up the bonding chamber on this thing, it could work on polycarbide."

"What's polycarbide?" Jake asked.

"Skin of a Dalek," I replied.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Jake asked as the Doctor stuck a piece of paper onto a thin metal rod I had found.

"Got any other ideas?" I asked him. Jake didn't reply. "Right, so, one more time. We surrender to the Cybermen, convince them to help us take care of the Daleks, and save Rose and Mickey. Am I missing anything?"

"Nope! That about sums it up," the Doctor replied. "Ready?"

I nodded. "Let's do this."

After surrendering to the Cybermen and convincing to help us take down the Daleks, the Doctor and I waited outside the door to the room where the sphere was. We could hear Rose talking. "If you um... escaped the Time War... don't you want to know what happened?" She asked the Daleks.

" **Place your hand-** " one of the Daleks ordered.

"What happened to the Emperor?"

" **The Emperor survived**."

"'Til he met Wonder..." Rose scoffed. "'Cos if these are gonna be my last words, then you're gonna listen. Wonder and I met the Emperor. She took the Time Vortex and while I don't know exactly what happened after that, I can only guess that she was the one to kill the Emperor. Do you get that? The god of all Daleks... and Wonder destroyed him." Rose laughed, grinning widely as she gloated.

" **You will be exterminated!** " One of the Daleks screeched.

' _That's our cue_ ,' I told the Doctor. He nodded and walked into the room, his 3D glasses perched on his face.

"Oh now, hold on, wait a minute," he said as he waltzed into the room. Rose and Mickey looked over at the Doctor and I. Rose grinned in delight.

" **Alert, alert, you are the Doctor and Wonder.** "

" **Sensors report they are unarmed** ," another Dalek announced.

"That's us. Always," the Doctor replied lightly.

" **Then you are powerless.** "

"You wish," I retorted with a snort.

"How are you?" The Doctor asked Rose, taking off his 3D glasses.

"Oh, same old, you know," she replied, shrugging but grinning.

"Long time, no see, Mickster. How you been?" I asked, fist bumping him.

"Not bad," Mickey said, smiling.

" **Social interaction will cease!** " Another Dalek demanded.

" **How did you survive the Time War?** " A black Dalek asked the Doctor.

"By fighting. On the front line," the Doctor replied, his expression dark. Mickey looked at him in surprise. "I was there at the fall of Arcadia." I quickly grabbed the Doctor's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. He glanced at me and gave me a sad smile. "Someday I might even come to terms with that." He turned back to the Daleks. "But you lot, ran away!"

" **We had to survive,** " the black Dalek insisted.

"The last four Daleks in existence. So what's so special about you?"

"Doctor, they've got names," Rose said in a low voice. "And Daleks don't have names, do they? One of them said they-"

" **I am Dalek Thay** ," one Dalek announced.

" **Dalek Sek** ," the black Dalek said.

" **Dalek Jast.** "

" **Dalek Caan,** " the final Dalek declared.

My eyes widened. "No! You can't be." A grin slipped onto my face. "Well what do you know? Your the last of the Cult of Skaro. I thought you were just a legend."

"Who are they?" Rose asked

"A secret order. Above and beyond the Emperor himself," the Doctor explained, strolling around the Daleks. "Their job was to imagine. Think as the enemy thinks. Even dared to have names. All to find new ways of killing."

"But that thing," Mickey said, gesturing to the thing in the middle of the Daleks which I could only assume was the Genesis Ark, "they said it was yours. I mean, Time Lords. They built it. What does it do?"

The Doctor and I glanced at the Ark. "I don't know. Never seen it before," the Doctor said.

"But it's... Time Lord," Rose said.

"Both sides had secrets," I told her.

"What is it? What have you done?" The Doctor asked the Daleks.

" **Time Lord science will restore Dalek supremacy,** " Dalek Sek declared.

"What does that mean? What sort of Time Lord science? What do you mean?"

"They said one touch from a time traveller will wake it up," Rose said.

"Technology using the one thing a Dalek can't do," the Doctor said, getting face to eye-stock with Dalek Sek. "Touch. Sealed inside your casing. Not feeling anything... ever... from birth to death, locked inside a cold metal cage. Completely alone. And that explains your voice. No wonder you scream."

" **The Doctor will open the Ark!** " Dalek Sek demanded.

The Doctor let out a contemptuous laugh. "The Doctor will not." I smirked.

" **You have no way of resisting.** "

The Doctor shrugged. "Well... you got me there. Although... there is always this." He pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket.

" **A sonic probe?** "

"That's screwdriver," the Doctor replied indignantly.

" **It is harmless,** " Dalek Sek said.

"Oh yes. Harmless is just the word," the Doctor said with a grin. "That's why I like it. Doesn't kill, doesn't wound, doesn't maim. But I'll tell you what it does do, it is very good at opening doors." He activated his sonic and the doors exploded. Jake, his men, and the Cybermen rushed in, firing away at the Daleks.

" **Delete! Delete! Delete! Delete!** " The Cybermen said.

" **Alert! Casing impact, casing impact!** " Dalek Caan reported.

The Doctor, Rose, Mickey, and I flung ourselves to the ground to avoid getting shot. "Rose, get out!" The Doctor yelled. Rose stumbled towards the door.

" **Fire power insufficient! Fire power insufficient!** " Dalek Sek reported. I noticed Mickey pick up a gun and join in the fight.

" **Daleks will be deleted. Delete! Delete!** " The Cybermen declared.

The Doctor helped me to my feet and hunched over me protectively as we ran for the door. "Mickey, come on!" Rose shouted.

" **Adapt to weaponry!** " Dalek Thay ordered. The Doctor worked furiously at the controls for the door and I quickly went to help.

" **Fire power restored!** " Dalek Sek announced. The Daleks began firing back. Jake reached the door, but Mickey tripped and shot a hand out to catch himself, accidentally touching the Genesis Ark. " **Cybermen primary target.** " The Doctor and I finally managed to close the door. Mickey and the rest of Jake's men slipped through the door as it closed, sealing the Daleks and Cybermen inside.

"Jake, check the stairwell," the Doctor ordered. Jake nodded and ran off, his men following at his heels. "The rest of you, come on!" Rose, Mickey, Pete, and I followed the Doctor as we ran down the hallway.

"I touched the Genesis Ark," Mickey informed us as we ran. "I just fell, I didn't mean it!"

"Mickey, they would have opened it by force anyway and the only way they could have done that was by blowing up the sun. I believe thanks are in order," I told him as we ran.

We rounded a corner and stopped short when we spotted two Cybermen. They weren't facing us, however. " **You will be upgraded** ," the Cybermen informed a terrified Jackie.

"No, but you can't!" Jackie pleaded. Pete grabbed the gun Mickey had taken and hefted it, aiming it at the Cybermen. "Please-" Pete shot the Cybermen and they collapsed to the ground. Jackie coughed and waved her hand in front of her face to get rid of the smoke.

Her eyes widened when she spotted her savior. "Pete!"

"Hello, Jacks," Pete greeted with a small smile. Rose held her hands to her mouth as she watched.

"I said there were ghosts, but that's not fair. Why him?" Jackie whined, sounding both annoyed and sad.

"I'm not a ghost," Pete insisted.

Jackie shook her head disbelievingly. "But you're dead. You died twenty years ago, Pete."

The Doctor stepped forward. "It's Pete from a different Universe," he attempted to explain. "There are parallel worlds, Jackie. Every single decision we make creates a parallel existence, a different dimension where-"

"Oh, you can shut up," Jackie snapped. The Doctor nodded and stepped back. I smirked slightly. Not many people could prevent the Doctor from rambling. Then again, she was the first mother to smack him. Jackie turned her gaze back to Pete. "Oh... you look old."

Pete smiled. "You don't."

"How can you be standing there?" Jackie asked, still not believing her eyes.

Pete shrugged. "Just got lucky... lived my life. You were left on your own. You didn't marry again, or...?"

"There was never anyone else," Jackie replied. The Doctor and Mickey smirked at that. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Twenty years, though. Look at me, I never left that flat. Did nothing with myself."

"Brought her up," Pete pointed out. Mickey, the Doctor, and I smiled, glancing at said blonde as she watched her parents, tears filling her eyes. "Rose Tyler. That's not bad."

"Yeah."

"In my world, it worked. All those daft little plans of mine. They worked. Made me rich."

"I don't care about that," Jackie dismissed. "How rich?"

"Very."

"I don't care about that," Jackie repeated. "How very?" Pete chuckled lightly. Rose rolled her eyes at her mother while the Doctor and I watched the whole scene play out, smiling fondly.

"Thing is though, Jacks, you're... you're not my wife. I'm sorry, but you're not. I mean, we both..." Pete tried, though I could tell he was having a hard time believing his owns words. Jackie nodded sadly. "You know, it's just sort of..." Pete sighed. "Oh, come here." He and Jackie ran forwards and embraced each other. Pete swept Jackie off her feet as she cried into his shoulder. I smiled at the couple.

"Come on, we have to keep moving," the Doctor urged.

"Where exactly you are we going?" Rose asked as we started running again.

"I've got an idea on how to get rid of the Cybermen and Daleks, but I need something from the labs first," he replied.

We reached the labs and the Doctor poked his head through the doors. The Daleks and Cybermen were battling each other. Unfortunately, the Cybermen's lasers didn't seem to be effective against the Daleks and the Daleks continued to shoot the Cybermen down one by one. The Doctor glanced around, waiting for the right moment to enter. Once he spotted a opening, he dove into the room and made his way to the magnaclamps we had seen earlier. ' _Doctor, duck!_ ' I told him as a laser beam flew his way. He ducked in time and the beam flew over his head and blew up a bin behind him.

' _Thanks!_ ' He replied, quickly grabbing the magnaclamps and rushing back towards us, holding them up like shields. He tripped over a fallen Cyberman on the way back.

"Come on, please," Rose whispered urgently beside me. The Doctor scrambled to his feet and slipped through the door. Rose closed the door behind him.

"Wait," the Doctor said as the others started walking off. He handed Rose and I the clamps and poked his head back into the lab, slipping on his 3D glasses. I peaked my head in beside him.

The Dalek group rolled into the middle of the lab, soldiers and Cybermen still firing. " **Override roof mechanism** ," Dalek Sek ordered. The roof of the lab began to open. " **El-ev-ate.** "

"What is in that Genesis Ark that they need to go outside?" I wondered.

"Time Lord science... What Time Lord science?" The Doctor said, completely baffled. He took off his glasses. "What is it?" I shook my head, the gears inside my head turning full speed in an attempt to figure it out. We watched as Dalek Sek rose through the ceiling with the Ark, leaving behind the other Daleks. He closed the door and bolted down the corridor, Rose, Pete, Jackie, Mickey, and I following. "We've gotta see what it's doing, we've gotta go back up! Come on! All of you! Top floor!" He shouted.

"That's forty-five floors up!" Jackie complained as we rounded a corner. "Believe me, I've done 'em all."

"We could always take the lift," Jake called. We ran back around the corner to see him poking his head out of the lift.

I grinned at him. "I like your thinking." The group piled in and the Doctor punched the button for the top floor.

The Doctor and I rushed out as soon as we reached the top. We ran for the window, dumping the magnaclamps on Yvonne's desk. We spotted Dalek Sek hovering next the Ark. The Ark began to spin the Doctor and I watched in horror as Daleks shot out.

"Time Lord science..." The Doctor said quietly.

"It's bigger on the inside," I finished. Of course.

"Did Time Lords put those Daleks in there?" Mickey asked. "What for?"

"It's a prison ship," the Doctor answered.

"How many Daleks?" Rose questioned.

"Millions," I replied, watching as more and more Daleks emerged from the Ark. People ran around, screaming as the Daleks started firing.

"I'm sorry, but you've had it," Pete said, walking away from the window. "This world's gonna crash and burn. There's nothing we can do. We're going home. Jacks, take this." He tossed Jackie one of the yellow buttons

"But they're destroying the City!" Jackie protested.

"I'd forgotten you could argue," Pete replied fondly. He took the button and looped the chain around her neck. "It's not just London, it's the whole world." He cupped her face, making her look at him. "But there's another world, just waiting for you, Jacks. And it's safe. As long as the Doctor closes the breach. Doctor?"

The Doctor turned around with a large grin and 3D glasses perched on his face again. "Oh, I'm ready. I've got the equipment right here. Thank you, Torchwood!" He ran over to a computer. "Slam it down and close off both universes."

" **Reboot systems** ," the computer announced.

"But we can't just leave," Rose protested. "What about the Daleks? And the Cybermen?"

"They're part of the problem," the Doctor said. "And that makes them part of the solution. Oh yes!" Rose laughed nervously. "Well?! Isn't anyone gonna ask? What is it with the glasses?"

"What is it with the glasses?" Rose asked with a smile.

"I can see! That's what!" The Doctor replied. "'Cos we've got two separate worlds, but in-between the two separate worlds, we've got the Void. That's where the Daleks were hiding. And the Cybermen travelled through the Void to get here! And you lot, one world to another, via the Void! Oh, I like that. Via the Void! Look!" He put the glasses on Rose. "I've been through it. Do you see?" I smile in amusement as he dodged about, Rose reaching her hand out to touch something we couldn't see.

" **Reboot in three minutes.** "

"Void stuff," the Doctor declared.

"Think of it as background radiation," I added when Rose frowned in confusion.

The Doctor grinned. "That's it. Look at the others." Rose looked at Jake, Mickey, Jackie, and Pete. "The only one who hasn't been through the Void, your mother. First time she's looked normal in her life."

"Oi!" Jackie protested as Rose giggled. I took the 3D glasses from Rose and slipped them on. I could seen millions of red particles floating around everyone but Jackie.

"Because the Daleks lived in the Void, they're full of this stuff," I explained. "Plus it took the Cybermen 3 years to cross the Void, so they have a lot too."

"We just open the Void, end of verse. The Void stuff gets sucked back inside," the Doctor added.

"Pulling them all in," Rose finished enthusiastically.

"Pulling them all in!"

"Sorry... what's... what's the Void?" Mickey asked.

"The dead space," the Doctor explained. "Some people call it 'Hell'."

Mickey looped his own button around his neck. "So... you're sending the Daleks and Cybermen to Hell." He grinned and turned to Jake. "Man, I told you they were good."

"But it's... like you said, we've all got Void stuff. Me too, 'cos we went to that parallel world," Rose pointed out. "We're all contaminated. We'll get pulled in."

"That's why you've gotta go," I told her. Rose stared at me, trying to understand what I had just said.

" **Reboot in two minutes.** "

"Back to Pete's world," the Doctor said. He turned to Pete. "Hey, we should call it that: Pete's World." He turned his attention back to Rose. "I'm opening the Void, but only on this side. You'll be safe on that side."

"And then you close it. For good?" Pete asked.

"The break is soaked in Void Stuff so it will close itself once all the Daleks and Cybermen are gone," I told him.

"But you two stay on this side...?" Rose asked. She stared at us as she seemed to realize what that meant.

"But you'll get pulled in," Mickey pointed out.

The Doctor held Rose's gaze for a moment before running over to the magnaclamps. "That's why... I got these. Wonder and I will just have to hold on tight, we've been doing it all our lives."

"I'm supposed to go," Rose said quietly. I gazed at her sadly.

The Doctor looked at her. "Yeah."

"To another world, and then it gets sealed off." My hearts clenched at the heartbroken look she was giving the Doctor and I.

"Yeah." The Doctor moved to another computer, not wanting to continue the conversation.

"Forever." Rose laughed at the absurdity of the idea. "That's not gonna happen." I looked at Rose for a moment before following the Doctor. I wanted so bad for Rose to stay. She meant so much to us and we had been through a lot together. But the Doctor and I both knew we could never take her away from her family, not permanently. We had both promised Jackie to keep Rose safe, so that's what we were doing.

' _She's not going to go without a fight,_ ' I told the Doctor.

' _I know,_ ' he replied, sighing mentally. ' _She's a Tyler. They're stubborn._ '

' _We have to do something. She can't stay here, as much as I would love it._ '

' _I have an idea,_ ' he said.

We met each other's gaze and I knew exactly what he was planning to do. ' _You sure?_ ' I asked. He didn't reply, but he slid one hand over to grab mine.

A loud crash outside shook the entire building. "We haven't got time to argue, the plans works, we go in. You too. All of us," Pete said.

"No, I'm not leaving them!" Rose said angrily.

"I'm not going without her," Jackie added.

"Oh, my gosh," Pete said in exasperation. "We're going."

"I've had twenty years without you, so button it. I'm not leaving her," Jackie snapped.

"You've got to," Rose said, turning around to face her mother.

"Well, that's tough!" Jackie said, her voice rising.

"Mum..." Rose said softly, tears filling her eyes. "I've had a life with you for nineteen years. But then I met the Doctor and Wonder and... all the things I've seen them do for me. For you. For all of us. For the whole... stupid planet and every planet out there. They do it alone, mum." The Doctor and I watched her sadly, both knowing she was going to be furious at us for what we were about to do. The Doctor slowly pulled the button Jake had tossed him earlier out of his pocket. "But not anymore." Rose backed away from Jackie, towards us. "'Cos now they've got me." The Doctor slipped the chain around Rose's neck and she glanced down at it in confusion. "What're you...?" Pete quickly pressed his own butting and the group disappeared, leaving the Doctor and I standing alone, staring sadly at the spot Rose had disappeared.

"Come on, we have a job to do," the Doctor said softly. I nodded glumly and followed him to the computer.

Suddenly, Rose reappeared, causing both of us to jump. "I think this is the on switch," she said as she appeared.

"Rose! What are you...!" I exclaimed, staring at the girl. I walked over to her and gently took her by the shoulders. "Rose, I realize you want to stay with us, but once that breach closes, you can't go back. You will _never_ be able to see your mother again." I gazed at her, hoping I could knock some sense into her. She couldn't stay here. I had promised Jackie, what felt like so long ago, that Rose would always return to her.

"I made my choice a long time ago, and I'm never gonna leave you," Rose replied calmly, though her voice trembled. She shifted her gaze to the Doctor. "Either of you." I released her shoulders and stared at her in surprise. I glanced at the Doctor to see he had a similar expression. "So what can I do to help?"

" **Systems rebooted. Open access,** " the computer said.

"Those co-ordinates over there, set them all at six," the Doctor finally replied. Rose hurried to obey. "And hurry up," he added with a snap. I hurried over to another computer and began typing away.

"We've got Cybermen on the way up," Rose announced from her computer.

"How many floors down?" The Doctor asked, dashing over to look at her screen while I continued to work on the other computer.

"Just one."

I ran over and typed a command into Yvonne's laptop. " **Levers operational,** " the computer announced.

I grinned. "We're all set."

"That's more like it, bit of a smile! The old team...!" Rose said cheerfully.

The Doctor picked up a magnaclamp and walked over. "Larry, Curly, and Moe."

"Yako, Wako, and Dot," I added.

"What?" Rose asked, giving me a confused look.

"Don't tell me you never watched The Animaniacs?" I said.

"No," Rose replied.

"You're missing out," I told her. "Great cartoon."

"Who would I be?" The Doctor asked curiously.

"Wako," I answered, taking one of the magnaclamps from him and giggling as he pouted. "Rose, with me." Rose followed me to the other side of the room.

The Doctor and I attached the clamps to the wall. "Press the red button," he told me.

"I know how they work, Doctor," I replied, pressing the button on the handle.

"When it starts, just hold on tight. Shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in Void Stuff," the Doctor said, speaking fast. "Are you ready?" I nodded as Rose and I got into position beside the levers.

"So are they," Rose said, gesturing to the window. Several Daleks appeared outside.

"No time to loose then!" I said. "Let's do it!" We pushed the levers into place and quickly grabbed hold of the magnaclamps.

" **Online** ," the computer announced. The room filled with a white light as the breach was opened. The wind picked up and the Daleks came smashing through the window and into the light. Rose and I gripped our clamp tightly and the wind whipped around us, threatening to pull us in.

"The breach is open! Into the Void! Ha!" The Doctor shouted over the wind, holding tightly to his own clamp. We watched as all the Daleks and Cybermen were dragged into the Void. Suddenly, a small explosion erupted and the lever on Rose and I's side moved back into the off position.

" **Offline** ," the computer announced.

"Turn it on!" The Doctor yelled. The suction from the Void began to ease as the breach closed.

I stretched out my arm, trying to reach the lever without letting go of the clamp. Unfortunately, the lever was just out of reach. "Come on," I groaned, but it was no use. Why did I have to be so short? Rose shifted beside me and threw herself to the lever. "Rose!" I yelled in panic.

"I've gotta get it upright!" Rose shouted. She groaned as she struggled to push the lever back into position. Finally, she managed to lock it into place.

" **Online and locked.** " The suction increased again and Rose held onto the lever for dear life. The strength of the suction pulled her legs out from underneath her as she held onto the lever.

Suddenly, a vision of Rose loosing her grip and falling towards the void flashed through my mind. "Rose, hold on!" I shouted, watching the girl in terror. Rose held on, but I could tell she was having trouble. Her face was scrunched up with the effort of holding on.

"Hold on!" The Doctor yelled. Rose screamed as she lost her grip and flew towards the Void. I quickly let go of the clamp and reached out and snatched her hand, grabbing the lever with my other hand.

"I've got you!" I told her. "Just hang on!" I held onto Rose as tight as I could, the muscles in my arm screaming in protest. I was _not_ going to let my vision come true. I grit my teeth against the pain, determined not to let go. The Void continued to pull in the Cybermen and Daleks. Rose's hand started to slip from mine. Tears were streaming down Rose's cheeks as she stared at me, absolutely terrified. "I'm not going to let you go!" I assured her. She slipped a bit more. I groaned with the effort of holding on. Finally, my grip on Rose slipped completely and she screamed as she once again fell towards the Void. "Rose!" I screamed, horrified that I wasn't able to stop my vision from coming true. Suddenly, Peter appeared and caught Rose just before she fell into the Void. Rose glanced at the Doctor and I, wide eyed, before vanishing. The Doctor and I stared at the place she disappeared, barely noticing the wind dying down as the breach closed.

I let go of the lever and just stood there, staring at the white wall where the breach had been. The Doctor walked slowly up to the wall. He laid one hand flat against it and rested his head on it, as if hoping he could hear Rose on the other side. He stood like that for a while before lowering his hand and walking over to me. I looked up at him as he stopped in front of me. I could see the same pain I felt reflected in his eyes and could feel it through our bond. My eyes watered and I threw my arms around him. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly as I cried into his chest. We stood like that for what seemed like forever, sharing our pain and doing our best to comfort each other. Once I had stopped crying the Doctor pulled away and wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me close as he steered me towards the exit. "Come on," he said softly. "There may be a way we can say goodbye."

The Doctor found a super nova and harvested the energy so we could send a message to Rose in the parallel universe. He flicked a couple of switches on the TARDIS console and the console room changed to a translucent image of a beach. Rose stood directly in front of us, but we could see her parents and Mickey standing a ways behind her. "Where are you?" She asked, her voice sounding a bit distant.

"Inside the TARDIS," the Doctor explained, coming to stand next to me. "There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, just about to close. And it takes a lot of power to send this projection, We're in orbit around a super nova."

"We're burning up a sun just to say goodbye," I told her. I stared at her sadly. She looked so depressed.

"You look like ghosts," Rose said.

"Hold on..." The Doctor said. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the console. The image of Rose and the beach became solid, making it look like we were actually there.

Rose slowly walked forward, reaching a hand up to the Doctor's face. "Can I t...?"

The Doctor shook his head. "We're still just an image. No touch," he told her regretfully.

"Can't you come through properly?" Rose asked, her voice trembling as she tried hard not to cry.

"I wish we could, but both our universes would collapse," I told her sadly.

"So?" Rose said, only half joking. The Doctor and I smiled slightly.

"Where are we?" The Doctor asked, glancing around the beach. "Where did the gap come out?"

"We're in Norway," Rose replied.

The Doctor nodded. "Norway. Right."

"About fifty miles out of Bergen. It's called 'Darlig Ulv Stranden'."

"Dalek?" The Doctor asked in surprise.

"Darl-IG," Rose repeated more firmly. "It's Norwegian for 'bad'."

"Let me guess, it translates as 'Bad Wolf Beach' or something," I said, remembering the two words that had been following us while the Doctor was in his ninth regeneration.

"Bad Wolf Bay actually," Rose corrected. We laughed softly at the irony, but it didn't last long. "How long have we got?"

"About two minutes," The Doctor answered.

"I can't think of what to say!" Rose laughing in disbelief.

The Doctor glanced at where Jackie, Pete, and Mickey stood. "You've still got Mr. Mickey, then?"

"There's five of us now. Mum, dad, Mickey... and the baby," Rose said.

I smiled, though I was a bit surprised. "Congrats, Rose."

Rose laughed. "Not me. It's mum," she corrected. "She's three months gone. More Tylers on the way."

"We could always use more Tylers," I said with a fond smile.

"And what about you? Are you...?" The Doctor asked, trailing off.

Rose nodded. "Yeah, I'm... I'm back working in the shop."

"Oh, good for you."

Rose laughed again and just for a moment it felt like old times. Like the three of us were on another adventure. "Shut up. No, I'm not. There's still a Torchwood on this planet, it's open for business. I think I know a thing or two about aliens."

"Rose Tyler. Defender of the Earth," I said, smiling proudly. We were quiet for a moment.

"You're dead, officially, back home," the Doctor told her. "So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on a list of the dead." Rose began to cry silently and I wanted so badly to wrapped my arms around her and comfort her. "Here you are. Living a life day after day. The one adventure Wonder and I can never have."

"Am I ever gonna see either of you again?" Rose asked in between sobs.

The Doctor and I gazed at her sadly. "You can't," the Doctor told her softly.

"What're you gonna do?"

"Oh, I've got the TARDIS and Wonder of course," the Doctor said with a sigh. "Same old life. Last of the Time Lords."

"On your own?" Rose asked. The Doctor nodded. Rose gazed at us with a heartbroken expression. "I lo-" she attempted to say, but she was too choked up to finish her sentence. She paused for a moment to regain her composure. "I love you," she said, gazing at the Doctor and I, though I could have sworn her gaze lingered just a bit longer on the Doctor.

My bottom lip trembled slightly as I tried not to cry. "I love you too, Rose."

"Quite right, too," the Doctor said, smiling sadly. Rose nodded, smiling at us through her tears. "And I suppose... if it's one last chance to say it..." He paused, gazing softly at our companion. "Rose Tyler-" Just as he was about to finish his sentence, the beach faded, indicating our two minutes were up.

I placed a hand on the TARDIS console to steady myself as I brought my other hand up to cover my mouth, muffling the sob that escaped my lips. I turned to the Doctor and buried my head in his chest, clutching his suit as I sobbed. The Doctor wrapped his arms around me and buried his head in my hair, tears running down his cheeks. After a few minutes, we had stopped crying and just stood, offering to each other through our bond what little comfort we could. I turned my head to the side and opened my eyes, but was startled by what I saw.

"What the?" I gasped, staring in utter confusion at the ginger haired woman in a wedding dress who had suddenly appeared in the console room.

The Doctor lifted his head from my hair and stared at the woman. "What?" The bride turned around and yelped in surprise. "What?!" The Doctor repeated, just as confused as I was.

"Who are you?" The bride asked disdainfully.

The Doctor and I continued to stare at the bride, dumbfounded as to how she could have gotten into the TARDIS. "But..."

"Where am I?" The bride asked angrily.

"What?!"

"What the hell is this place?" The bride yelled.

"What?!"

* * *

 **What did you guys think? I never like saying goodbye to a companion. Next chapter we meet Donna! I'm going to try and update previous chapters. The next chapter on the list is Boom Town I believe. Anyway, please review and let me know your thoughts on this chapter. Till next time!  
**

 **Note: I just updated several of the previous chapters (Boom Town through Christmas Invasion). Most were just small changes, nothing drastic. I did change quite a bit in Christmas invasion. I added the deleted scene where the Doctor is trying to find a new word to say instead of "fantastic". I also changed a bit where the Doctor and Elena were discussing her fob watch. There were a few other small changes as well, but those are the big ones.**


	30. Runaway Bride

**Hello readers! I finally finished the next chapter! Hope you guys like it.**

* * *

 _Previously:_

 _"Where am I?" The bride asked angrily._

 _"What?!"_

 _"What the hell is this place?" The bride yelled._

 _"What?!"_

* * *

The Doctor and I stared, dumbfounded at the bride. "You can't do that, I wasn't... we're in flight! That is-that is physically impossible! How did-?" The Doctor stuttered, unable to to form a complete sentence.

"Tell me where I am," the woman commanded, glaring at us. "I demand you tell me right now - where am I?"

"Inside the TARDIS," I answered, since the Doctor was still staring at the woman, slack jawed.

"The what?" The bride asked angrily.

"The TARDIS," I repeated.

"The what?"

"The TARDIS!" The Doctor and I said together. The Doctor turned to the controls, attempting to figuring out how she got on board.

"The what?" The woman asked again, still glaring.

I took a deep breath. "It's called the TARDIS," I told her gently, hoping to calm her down.

Apparently, it didn't work. "That's not even a proper word. You're just saying things," the redheaded woman snapped.

"How did you get in here?" The Doctor piped up.

"Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me," the bride snapped, glaring fiercely at the Doctor. "Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh, my gosh, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it."

"Who is Nerys?" The Doctor asked, looking the woman up and down in utter confusion.

"Your best friend," she snarled.

"Hold on, wait a minute - what're you dressed like that for?" The Doctor questioned.

I stared at him. ' _Seriously?_ ' I said flatly.

"I'm going ten pin bowling. Why do you think, Dumbo?" The woman shouted. "I was halfway up the aisle!" The Doctor began fiddling with the controls. I stood by, watching as the cross bride ranted at him. "I've been waiting all my life for this. I was just seconds away! And then you- I dunno, you drugged me or something!"

"I haven't done anything!" The Doctor protested.

"We're having the police on you! Me and my husband - as soon as he is my husband - we're gonna sue the living backside off ya!" She snapped. I raised my eyebrows. Good luck to her future husband. The woman glanced around and noticed the doors. She rushed over to them.

My eyes widened. "Wait! Don't!" I shouted, hurrying after her, but it was too late. She flung open the doors and stared, opened mouthed. The TARDIS was floating in space and we had a beautiful view of a super nova. Unfortunately, with the current situation at hand, we didn't have time to admire the view.

"You're in space. Outer Space," the Doctor told her, coming to stand next to us. "This is my... space-ship. It's called the 'TARDIS'."

"How am I breathing?" The redhead asked.

"The TARDIS is protecting us."

"Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor and this is my wife Wonder. You?"

"Donna," the redhead replied.

The Doctor looked her up and down. "Human?"

"Yeah. Is that optional?"

"It is for us," I said.

"You're an alien," Donna stated, glancing back at us.

"Yeah," the Doctor said while I just nodded.

It was quite for a moment before Donna spoke again. "It's freezing with these doors open."

The Doctor shut the doors and darted back to the console. "But I don't understand it and I understand everything!" I raised my eyebrow at him. "Well, almost everything," he corrected. "This- this can't happen! There is no way a Human Being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be..." The Doctor was practically buzzing with energy. He grabbed an ophthalmoscope and got into Donna's face, muttering the whole time. "Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic-" He was suddenly cut off as Donna slapped him. I raised my eyebrows. He staggered back. "What was that for?" He asked indignantly.

"Get me to the church!" Donna shouted.

The Doctor dropped his instrument and went back to the controls. "Right! Fine! I don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?"

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System," Donna said angrily. I went over the the controls to help the Doctor. "I knew it. Acting all innocent. I'm not the first, am I? How many women have you abducted?" The Doctor and I looked up and saw that Donna was holding one of Rose's blouses. I stared at the garment sadly. Donna's surprise arrival had distracted the Doctor and I and we had forgotten that we had just lost a dear friend.

"That's my friend's," the Doctor said quietly.

"Where is she, then? Popped out for a space walk?" Donna replied sarcastically.

"She's gone."

"Gone where?"

"We lost her," the Doctor replied after a moment.

"Well, you can hurry up and lose me," Donna said furiously. The Doctor and I remained quiet, neither of us wanting to talk about it. "How do you mean, 'lost'?" Donna asked softly, seeming to realize it was a sensitive topic. The Doctor looked darkly at Donna while I looked back down and finished landing the TARDIS.

The Doctor snatched the blouse from Donna and headed for the doors. "Right! Chiswick," he said.

"I said 'Saint Mary's'," Donna snapped as she stepped out of the TARDIS. "What sort of Martians are you? Where's this?"

"I don't know," I admitted, looking around. "It should have been Saint Mary's."

"Something's wrong with her..." The Doctor said, placing his hand on the blue box. "It's like she's... recalibrating!" He rushed back inside and I followed. "She's digesting."

I placed a hand gently on the rotor. "What's wrong, sexy?" I asked softly.

"Donna? You've really gotta think. Is there anything that might've caused this?" The Doctor called to Donna, who was still outside. "Anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off in case you're dangerous. I mean, have you... have you seen lights in the sky? Or... did you touch something? Something- something different? Something strange? Something made out of a sort of metal or... who're you getting married to?" While the Doctor continued firing questions, I checked the monitor, hoping it might give me a hint as to what was wrong.

' _What is it, sexy? What's the matter?_ ' I asked the time machine. All she gave me was an uneasy hum.

"Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he?" The Doctor continued, seemingly unaware that Donna wasn't answering his questions.

I turned around and glanced out the doors just in time to see Donna take off down the road. "Doctor!" I shouted as I ran down the ramp and out the door, getting his attention.

"Donna!" I heard him yell. He came running out and together we fell into step beside Donna. "Donna."

"Leave me alone," Donna pleaded, holding up the skirting of her dress as she walked briskly down the street. "I just want to get married."

"Come back to the TARDIS," the Doctor urged.

"No way. That box is too... weird."

"It's... bigger on the inside, that's all."

"Oh! That's all?" Donna snapped. She sighed exaggeratedly and checked her watch. "Ten past three. I'm gonna miss it."

"You can phone them. Tell them where you are," the Doctor said.

"How do I do that?" Donna asked.

"Haven't you got a mobile?"

Donna stared at him. "I'm in my wedding dress. It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting, do you think I said 'Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets'?!"

The Doctor turned to me. "Wonder, you have a mobile. Let Donna use it."

"Can't. It died and I haven't had the chance to charge it yet with...well...you know," I finished, not wanting to bring up Rose.

The Doctor's face fell and he nodded. He turned back to Donna "... This man you're marrying - what's his name?"

"Lance," Donna sighed, a lovesick smile on her face.

"Gotta like Lance," the Doctor replied. I covered my mouth to muffle a giggle.

"Oi!" Donna snapped, her mood changing abruptly. "No stupid Martians are gonna stop me from getting married. To heck with you!" She took off.

"We're-we're not...we're not...we're not from Mars," the Doctor said feebly.

"Never mind that, come on," I told him. We ran after Donna.

We ran up to a busy street. "Taxi!" Donna shouted as a taxi drove by. It ignored us as drove on. "Why's his light on?"

"There's another one!" The Doctor said, pointing to another taxi. He ran to try and catch it.

"Taxi!" Donna shouted, but the taxi drove straight past. "Oi!"

"There's one!" Once again, the Doctor ran to try and get the taxi, but once again he was ignored. "Do you have this effect on everyone?" He asked Donna. "Why aren't they stopping?"

"They think I'm in fancy dress," Donna replied.

Another taxi drove past and the driver honked the horn. "Stay off the scotch darlin'!

"They think I'm drunk," Donna said irritably.

"You're fooling no-one, mate!" A couple of young guys shouted.

"They think I'm in drag!" Donna groaned.

I sighed. "Hang on." I let out a long, piercing whistle, causing both Donna and the Doctor to wince and cover their ears. I smiled in satisfaction as a taxi screeched to a halt in front of us.

"Impressive," the Doctor complimented as all three of us clambered into the back seat.

"Thanks," I replied.

"Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road. It's an emergency, I'm getting married! Just... hurry up!" Donna instructed the driver.

"You know it'll cost you, sweetheart? Double rates today," the driver said.

"Oh, my gosh! Have you got any money?" Donna asked us.

"Um... no. Wonder?" The Doctor asked.

I patted my pockets and shook my head. "TARDIS didn't give me any."

"What about you?" The Doctor asked Donna.

"Pockets!" She shouted, gesturing violently to her dress. The taxi screeched to a halt and we clambered out, Donna throwing insults at the driver the whole time. "And that goes double for your mother!" She shouted as the taxi drove off. "I'll have him. I've got his number. I'll have him. Talk about the Christmas Spirit."

I blinked and glanced around in surprise. "Is it Christmas?" With all the 'excitement', I hadn't noticed all the Christmas decorations lining the buildings.

"Well, duh," Donna snapped. "Maybe not on Mars, but here it's Christmas Eve." Suddenly, she smacked the Doctor's chest. "Phone box!" We ran over to it. "We can reverse the charges!"

"How come you're getting married on Christmas Eve?" The Doctor asked.

"Can't bear it," Donna replied. "I hate Christmas. Honeymoon in Morocco. Sunshine - lovely." The Doctor held open the phone box door for Donna as she stepped in and picked up the receiver. "What's the operator? I've not done this in years. What do you dial? 100?"

The Doctor pulled out his sonic and used it on the receiver. "Just- just call the direct."

"What did you do?" Donna asked in a demanding tone.

"Something Martian," I replied. "Now, phone. Doctor, go and get some money. I'll stay here with Donna."

"You sure?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yes, now go." I gave him a light shove and he darted off to a nearby cash machine. Unfortunately, there was a guy already using it.

"Ohh, answer the phone!" Donna snapped at the phone. She dialed again and stood tapping her foot, waiting for whoever it was to pick up. "Mum, get off the phone and listen. I'm in-" she paused, glancing around. "Oh, my gosh- I dunno where I am! It's... it's a street. And there's WH Smith... but it's definitely Earth." She glanced at me.

I shrugged. "Don't look at me. I was never all that great at geography." I looked back at the Doctor to find him still waiting in line.

' _Could he be any slower?_ ' He grumbled to me. He was dancing from foot to foot and I could feel his agitation through our bond. I chuckled quietly. He looked and sounded like a five year old. Finally, the man left and the Doctor darted forward, glancing about as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

Behind me, Donna came out of the phone box. "Money. I need money," she muttered.

"I sent the Doctor to get some," I reminded her, but she didn't listen. I trailed after her as she approached a random woman.

"Excuse me... I'm begging you. I'm getting married, I really am and I'm late and I just need to borrow a tenner and I'll pay you back I promise and it's Christmas," Donna pleaded. The woman handed Donna some cash and as Donna thanked her. I shook my head and glanced around. A few yards away, a few masked Santas were playing trumpets. I narrowed my eyes at them, remembering the Doctor and I's last encounter with Santas.

' _Doctor, we've got company,_ ' I warned.

' _What's is it?_ ' He asked.

' _Pilot fish,_ ' I replied.

The Doctor dashed to my side, cash in hand. "Where's Donna?"

I glanced around for the firey redhead. "She was begging for money from some woman a moment ago." I spotted her talking to a taxi driver. "There!"

"Thanks for nothing, spacepeople! I'll see you in Court," she shouted at us as she climbed into the taxi. The taxi drove off and my eyes widened as I saw that the driver was one of the Santas.

"Donna!" The Doctor yelled. I glanced back at the Santas playing the trumpets. One of them lowered his trumpet ominously and the others followed suit.

' _Doctor!_ ' I called.

' _On it,_ ' he replied. He soniced the cash machine, causing money to fly everywhere. People rushed in like vultures to grab the money. ' _Come on!_ ' He grabbed my hand and we took off towards the TARDIS.

We rushed in after unlocking the doors and immediately started flipping switches and pressing buttons. The Doctor pulled out a hammer and pounded away at the console. The rotor began to rise and fall as the engine kicked into gear. "You know she doesn't like it when you do that," I told the Doctor as we rushed about the console.

"Yeah, well, you can scold me later," he replied. I ran to the monitor and tracked the taxi's progress. Sparks flew from the console and the whole room tilted. I gripped onto the console so as not to fall. The Doctor hit the console with his hammer again. "Behave!" We piloted the TARDIS along the highway, doing our best not to run into the cars. We managed to pull alongside the taxi. "Keep us steady!" The Doctor told me. I nodded and he stumbled to the doors and we bounced about. "Open the door!" He shouted at Donna.

"Open the door!" He pulled out his sonic and unlocked the door.

"Santa's a robot," Donna shouted, having opened her window.

"Donna, open the door," the Doctor repeated.

"What for?"

"You've got to jump!"

"I'm not bleedin' flip jumping, I'm supposed to be getting married!" Donna yelled shrilly. Suddenly, the taxi pulled ahead.

"Wonder!" The Doctor shouted.

"I know!" I shouted back. I darted around the console, flipping lever and pressing buttons, causing the console to spark. The TARDIS banged down on top of a car, causing the Doctor and I to groan as we were jolted about. "Sorry!" I flipped another switch and pull the TARDIS in line with the taxi again.

The Doctor soniced the robot, disabling it. "Listen to me - you've got to jump," he told Donna.

"I'm not jumping on a motorway," Donna protested.

"Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it's not good. Now, come on!"

"I'm in my wedding dress!" Donna shouted angrily.

"Yes! You look lovely! Come on!" The Doctor shouted back in exasperation.

"I can't do it," Donna said fearfully.

"Trust me," the Doctor replied calmly.

"Is that what you said to her? Your friend? The one you lost? Did she trust you?" My hearts sank at the mention of Rose.

"Yes, she did. And she is not dead. She is so alive," the Doctor assured her. "Now, jump!" Donna screamed and jumped, landing with a 'thud' on top of the Doctor. I pulled another lever, sending us off to find a safe landing spot.

I landed the TARDIS on top of a high rise building. Donna rushed out as the Doctor and I hurried to get a couple of fire extinguishers. We put out the flames on the console and backed out of the TARDIS, coughing and spluttering as smoke poured out the doors. We closed the doors and walked over to join Donna, who was standing off to the side, staring at the view from the roof.

"The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying," the Doctor commented.

"Maybe it would help if you didn't beat her with a hammer," I said.

He shrugged. "Still. We'd better give her a couple of hours."

I looked at Donna, who seemed very put out. "You all right?"

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

"Did we miss it?" The Doctor asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, you can book another date..." He suggested.

"Course we can."

"Still got the honeymoon..."

"It's just a holiday now," Donna replied dejectedly.

The Doctor nodded sheepishly. "Yeah... yeah... sorry."

Donna sighed. "It's not your fault."

"That's a change," I snorted. "Usually, everyone is jumping to blame him."

"Wish we had a time machine. Then we could go back and get it right," Donna said wistfully.

The Doctor nodded nervously. "... Yeah, yeah. But... even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently." Donna gave him a suspicious glance before going to sit on the edge of the roof. I walked over and sat down next to her. The Doctor took off his suit jacket and dropped it around her bare shoulders before sitting down on Donna's other side.

"Gosh, you're skinny. This wouldn't fit a rat," Donna said as she tugged the jacket closer.

"Oh and you'd better put this on," the Doctor said, pulling out a gold ring.

"Oh, do you have to rub it in?" Donna complained.

"It's a bio-damper," I explained. "It should keep those robots from tracing you."

The Doctor slipped the ring onto Donna's finger. "With this ring, I thee bio-damp."

"For better or for worse," Donna sighed.

"Need I remind you, you're a married man, Doctor," I said in a serious yet teasing tone.

"I could use a reminder," he smirked.

I smiled back. "Mmm, I'll reminder you later."

"I'll hold you to it."

"Seriously? Do you guys have to flirt in front of me?" Donna asked, slightly annoyed.

"Sorry," I replied, sending the Doctor a wink behind Donna's back, causing him to smile.

"So, come on then. Robot santas - what are they for?" Donna asked, attempting to get us back in point.

"Ah, your basic robo-scavenger," the Doctor explained. "The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. We met them last Christmas."

Donna gave him a confused look. "Why, what happened then?"

"Did you not see the giant spaceship hovering over London?" I asked, staring at her in disbelief. How could anyone miss that?

"I had a bit of a hangover," Donna said dismissively.

"Wonder and I spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate," the Doctor said, nodding in the direction of said complex. "With this... family. Our friend, she had this family. Well, they were..." He paused, lost in the memories of our time with Rose. I sent him a wave of comfort through our bond. He sighed. "Still... gone now."

"Your friend... who was she?" Donna asked softly.

"Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you?" The Doctor mused, neither of us wanting to linger on Rose right now. "And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know..." He contemplated the redhead between us, causing Donna to roll her eyes.

"What do you do for a living?" I asked as the Doctor pulled out his sonic.

"I'm a secretary," Donna replied.

"It's weird, I mean - you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important," the Doctor commented as he scanned her.

"Doctor," I warned.

"This friend of yours - just before she left, did she punch you in the face?" Donna snapped before smacking his sonic aside. "Stop bleeping me!"

"Feel free to slap him again," I told her.

"What kind of secretary?" The Doctor asked, ignoring me.

"I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping," Donna explained. "I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought - I'm never gonna fit in here. And then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee. And Lance - he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me!" I tilted my head slightly. That did seem kind of odd. Why did he single her out? "But he was nice, he was funny. And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him - one cup of coffee. That was it."

"When was this?" The Doctor asked.

"Six months ago."

"Isn't that a bit early to get married?" I asked.

Donna shrugged. "Well... he insisted. And he nagged... and he nagged me...And he just wore me down and then finally, I just gave in." I nodded in understanding, but something told me it was the other way around.

"What does H C Clements do?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh, security systems, you know... entry codes, ID cards - that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for 'locksmiths'," Donna commented.

The Doctor got a thoughtful look on his face. "Keys..."

"Anyway, enough of my CV. Come on, it's time to face the consequences," Donna said. "Oh, this is gonna be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian-boy." She nudged the Doctor.

"Yeah. We're not from Mars," the Doctor replied. He stood up and held a hand for Donna and helped her up. I took his hand when he offered it to me.

Donna sighed. "Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's gonna be heartbroken."

When we reached the place where the reception was supposed to be held, we could hear music blasting. ' _I don't think they waited,_ ' I commented to the Doctor. We walked in to see all the guests partying on the dance floor. Donna just stood there, frozen as she stared around in disbelief. An older woman at the front of the crowd noticed us first and froze, everyone else quickly following.

"You had the reception without me?" Donna demanded.

"Donna... what happened to ya?" A dark skinned man, who I assumed was Lance, asked.

"You had the reception without me?" Donna repeated, raising her voice an octave. There was an awkward pause as nobody seemed to want to answer the furious bride.

"Hello! I'm the Doctor and this is Wonder," the Doctor said cheerfully, attempting to break the silence. I smiled and waved at everyone sheepishly.

Donna turned to face us. "They had the reception without me."

"We noticed," I said.

"Well, it was all paid for - why not?" A blonde retorted.

"Thank you, Nerys," Donna snapped. Oh, so that was Nerys.

The older woman approached Donna. "Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your silly little message in the end - 'I'm on Earth'? Very funny," she berated. I guess she must be Donna's mother. "What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick because I'd love to know-" Just then the whole room stared talking at once. Donna glanced frantically between everyone as they bore down on her. I took a couple of nervous steps back, not wanting to be near the horde of people asking questions. The Doctor quickly wrapped an arm around my waist protectively, drawing me to his side. Finally, Donna got too overwhelmed with all the questions that she burst into tears. Everyone instantly calmed down and Lance came forward and wrapped his arms around Donna. As everyone applauded, Donna winked at us through her fake tears, causing us to smirk.

The party continued and Donna joined in the dancing. I was leaning against the Doctor who was leaning against the bar counter behind him. He had his arms wrapped around me and I had my hands over his. I leaned my head against his chest, smiling slightly as I watched Donna dance with Lance. The Doctor leaned down and pressed his lips to the top of my head. When he looked up, he spotted a guy holding his phone.

"Wait here," the Doctor told me, gently pulling me off his chest. He walked over and asked the guy for his phone.

"What are you doing?" I asked when he came back with the phone.

"I need to see who owns H C Clements." He did a search for H C Clements. Casting a furtive look around the room, he pulled out his sonic to speed up the process. The Doctor and I tensed when we saw the sole proprietor was. Torchwood. The Doctor walked back over and gave the man his phone back. When he came back I quickly wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his chest to hide my watery eyes. I thought we were done with Torchwood. I thought it had collapsed after the whole Cybermen and Dalek thing. When I pulled away, I glanced around the room as I wiped my eyes. I noticed a cameraman off to the side, taping all the guests dancing.

"Come, on," I said with a small sniff. "Let's go see if that cameraman happened to tape the wedding."

"Good idea," the Doctor replied. He grabbed my hand and we walked over. "Excuse me, but you didn't by any chance tape the wedding did you?" The Doctor asked the cameraman.

The man nodded. "Yeah."

"Mind if we see it?" I asked.

"Course." The man pulled out the tape he was using and put in another one. "I taped the whole thing - they've all had a look. They said 'sell it to You've Been Framed'. I said 'more like the News'. Here we are..." The Doctor and I watched the small screen. My eyes widened as Donna seemingly disintegrated into gold particles.

' _But it can't be! That's impossible,_ ' I thought.

"Can't be!" The Doctor said, agreeing with me. "Play it again?"

"Clever, mind! Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping," the man said as he replayed the video. The Doctor and I stared incredulously as Donna once again disintegrated into gold particles.

"But that looks like... Huon Particles!" The Doctor exclaimed in disbelief.

The man blinked in confusion. "What's that?"

"That's impossible, that's... ancient! Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years! So old that..." The Doctor trailed off as both our eyes widened in realization.

"It can't be hidden by a biodamper!" I exclaimed. The Doctor and I rushed to a window to see Santas heading our way. "Donna," I whispered in worry. I took off back towards the party, the Doctor at my heals. "Donna!"

"Donna, they've found you," the Doctor told her.

"But you said I was safe," the redhead protested.

"The biodamper doesn't work. We've got to get everyone out," he said hurriedly.

Donna looked around the room. "Oh, my gosh- it's all my family," she said worriedly.

"Out the back door!" We bolted out the back only to skid to a halt as two Santas appeared.

"Maybe not," I said. We rushed back inside. The Doctor darted over to another window, spotting two more Santas.

"We're trapped," Donna said.

I looked out the window beside the Doctor and noticed one of the Santas was holding a remote control. I looked behind me at the Christmas trees in the reception area. "Christmas trees..." I murmured, my eyes widening as I remembered my last encounter with one.

"What about them?" Donna asked.

"They kill," the Doctor answered. Without another word we both dashed into the crowd. "Get away from the tree!"

"Don't touch the trees!" Donna shouted, coming over to help the Doctor and I.

"Get away from the Christmas trees," I ordered, ushering a group of kids away.

"Out! Lance, tell them!" Donna snapped.

"Stay away from the tree!" The Doctor yelled.

"Oh, for goodness sake, the man's an idiot!" Donna's mother exclaimed.

"He is _not_ an idiot!" I snapped. "Now get away from the trees!"

"Why? What's a Christmas tree gonna... oh!" She trailed off as one of the Christmas baubles floated off the tree. I eyed them mistrustfully as more floated off the trees and hovered about. Everyone started chattering excitedly until the baubles started dive-bombing and causing explosions. Everyone began screaming and running for cover.

' _Doctor! Get to the sound system!_ ' I shouted, ducking as a bauble flew over my head.

' _On it!_ ' He replied. Together, he and I worked our way to the sound system, darting in and around people as they ran for cover. We were knocked to the ground as a bauble exploded next to us. "You alright?" He asked. I nodded. Finally, the explosions stopped and the Doctor and I poked our heads over the table by the sound system. The Santas were all lined up across the room. "Oi! Santa!" The Doctor called, getting to his feet. "Word of advice: if you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver..." He held the microphone to his mouth. "Don't let him near the sound system." ' _Cover your ears,_ ' he told me. I quickly placed my hands over my ears. He stuck his sonic into the amplifiers, producing a horrible, high-pitched screeching sound. I pressed my hands tightly against my ears, trying to block out the noise. The noise stopped and I pulled my hands away. The Doctor quickly helped me up before rushing of the the piled of ruined Santas.

"What were they?" Lance asked, pointing to the robots.

"Just stop wittering, just help 'em," Donna ordered.

I walked over to Donna. "You alright?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Look at that - remote control for the decorations," the Doctor said, holding up what reminded me of an Xbox controller, "but there's a second remote control for the robots." He picked up a robot head and examined it. "They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession."

"Never mind all that, you're a doctor - people have been hurt," Donna said.

"Nah, they wanted you alive, look," he tossed her a bauble and she caught it, flinching slightly, "they're not active now."

"All I'm saying - you could help."

"Gotta think of the bigger picture," the Doctor dismissed, holding a robot head up to his ear.

Donna turned to me. "What about you? You gonna help?" I glanced around the room. Most of the guests seemed okay, just shook up. A few were being helped by their friends.

I sighed. "As much as I would like to help, if these robots are being controlled by someone else, we need to find out who so we can stop this happening again. You're not safe until we can stop this."

"There's still a signal!" The Doctor suddenly exclaimed. He took off, leaving me no choice but to follow with an apologetic glance at Donna. I followed the Doctor outside and was shortly joined by Donna. "There's someone behind this, directing the robo-force," the Doctor said, examining his sonic.

"But why is it me? What have I done?" Donna asked.

"If we find the controller, we'll find that out," he replied. "Oh!" He raised his sonic into the air. "It's up there. Something in the sky." I looked up, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. The Doctor stared moving around, trying to locate where exactly the signal was coming from. I just watched him as he darted about. Lance soon joined us. "I've lost the signal - Donna, we've got to get to your office, H C Clements," the Doctor said. "I think that's where it all started. Lance - is it Lance? Can you give us a lift?" He grabbed my hand and darted off without waiting for an answer.

Lance drove us to H C Clements and Donna led us to her cubicle. The Doctor went straight for a computer. "This might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute," he said.

"Who are they?" Donna asked.

My gaze darkened. "They were the ones behind the battle of Canary Wharf." Donna gave us a blank look. "You know, the Cybermen invasion?" She stared at me questioningly. "London full of Daleks?"

"Oh, I was in Spain," Donna dismissed.

"They had Cybermen in Spain," the Doctor said, looking at Donna curiously.

Donna shrugged. "Scuba diving."

"That big picture, Donna - you keep on missing it." The Doctor darted over to another computer. "Torchwood was destroyed, but H C Clements stayed in business. I think... someone else came in and took over the operation," he finished, whacking the monitor.

"Smacking it isn't going to help," I sighed. I gently nudged him over and began working at the computer.

"But what do they want with me?" Donna asked.

The Doctor switched his attention to Donna. "Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy. And that's a problem because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened. Say... that's the TARDIS." He grabbed a nearby coffee mug and it up. "And that's you." He grabbed a pencil. "The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetized and WHAP." He dropped the pencil into the mug. "You were pulled inside the TARDIS."

"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" Donna said weakly.

"Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up," the Doctor replied, swirling the pencil in the mug. "Lance? What was H C Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?"

"I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager," Lance said defensively.

"Doctor, could I borrow the sonic?" I asked, having no luck with the computer. He dug into his pocket and passed his sonic screwdriver over. I held it to the monitor and it instantly displayed the page I was looking for. The Doctor grinned.

"Why am I even explaining myself? What the heck are we talking about?" Lance asked angrily.

"Well, if you look at this," I said, pointing to the 3D plan of the building I had pulled up on the monitor. "We're on the third floor." I went over to the wall and pressed the button to call for the lift. "The basement is below reception, right?"

The lift doors pinged open and the Doctor walked in. "Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked 'lower basement'?" He asked, gesturing to the controls. "There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?"

"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance asked in confusion.

"No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor," the Doctor corrected.

"It needs a key," Donna pointed out.

"We don't." I soniced the lock right below the 'second basement' button.

"Right then, thanks you two, we can handle this - see you later," the Doctor said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"No chance, Martians. You're the man and woman who keep saving my life, I ain't letting either of you out of my sight," Donna said as she joined the Doctor and I in the lift.

"Going down."

Donna raised her eyebrows at Lance, who hadn't moved. "Lance?" She said pointedly.

"Maybe I should go to the police," he suggested weakly.

"Inside," Donna ordered. Lance hung his head and quickly joined us.

"To honor and obey?" The Doctor asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Tell me about it, mate," Lance replied.

"OI," Donna protested. The Doctor smirked.

"Better watch it, Doctor, or you're going to wind up on the couch tonight," I told him teasingly.

When the lift pinged open, we stepped out into a long, dark corridor, dimly lit with an eerie green light. "Where are we? Well, what goes on down here?" Donna asked.

"Let's find out..." The Doctor said, glancing around.

"They could stand to liven up the decorations a bit," I commented, wrinkling my nose.

"Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?" Donna asked.

"The mysterious H C Clements? I think he's part of it," the Doctor replied.

Something caught my eye as I glanced around. I grinned. "Oh, look - transport."

"Seriously?" Donna asked, spotting what had attracted my attention.

"Oh, yes," I grinned, jogging over to the Segways. "Come on, everyone grab one. Someone's going to have to share though."

"No problem," the Doctor said, picking me up and setting me on one of the Segways before climbing on behind me. Donna climbed onto another one. Lance hesitated, but eventually conceded. "Ready?" The Doctor asked. We trundled off down the corridor. Donna looked at Lance, the Doctor, and I and burst out laughing. The Doctor and I soon joined in. We must have looked ridiculous. Four grown adults riding on Segways. Lance, however, didn't seem to think it was funny.

We stopped at a door which said 'Torchwood - authorized personnel only'. The Doctor got off our Segway and helped me down. He walked over to the door and turned the wheel, opening the door to reveal a ladder. "Wait here. Just need to get my bearings," the Doctor said. "Wonder, make sure they don't do anything."

I nodded. "Got it."

"You'd better come back," Donna said sternly.

"I couldn't get rid of you if I tried," he replied. Donna smiled as he climbed up the ladder.

' _Nice view, by the way,_ ' I said, watching the Doctor climb.

' _Is now really the time to be admiring my backside?_ ' He asked, though I could tell he was smirking.

' _I'm not doing anything else right now._ ' I watched him open the hatch once he got to the top. He poked his head out. ' _What's up there?_ '

' _Were right below the Thames,_ ' he said. He started making his way back down.

' _Take your time. There's no rush,_ ' I told him as I watched him climb back down.

' _How about I let you climb up next time so I can admire your backside?_ '

I smirked. ' _Sounds like a fair trade to me._ '

' _I thought you were supposed to be the mature one_ ,' He chuckled. He jumped down the last rung. "Thames flood barrier!" He exclaimed to Donna. "Right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."

"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" Donna asked.

He nodded. "I know! Unheard of."

We walked down the corridor and entered what appeared to be some kind of laboratory. There was a multitude of large test tubes all bubbling. "Oh, look at this! Stunning! Particle extrusion!" The Doctor exclaimed, a huge grin on his face. He looked like a kid in a candy shop.

"What does it do?" Donna asked.

"Particle extrusion. Hold on..." The Doctor darted over to one of the bubbling tubes and tapped it. "Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. In case our people got rid of Huons, they unravelled the atomic structure."

"Your people?" Lance asked suspiciously. "Who are they? What company do you represent?"

I shrugged. "Just a couple of freelancers." I bent down to examine one of the test tubes. "They must have been using the river. Extruding them through a flat hydrogen to get Huon particles in liquid form," I mused, pulling a vial of the liquid from one of the larger test tubes. I handed it to the Doctor and he slipped on his glasses to examine it.

"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked. The Doctor gently turned the knob on the vial, making the contents glow gold, Donna along with it. "Oh, my gosh!"

"Because the particles are inert - they need something living to catalyze inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then... HA!" The Doctor exclaimed, grinning madly with enthusiasm, causing poor Donna to jump out of her skin. I rolled my eyes. The idiot was going to get himself smacked. "The wedding! Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle - oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine, WHAM go the endorphins, oh you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven! A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away, the particles reached boiling point, SHAZAM!" The Doctor said excitedly. Just as I predicted, Donna slapped him. He staggered back in surprise. "What did I do this time?" He asked indignantly.

"Are you enjoying this?" Donna snapped angrily. The Doctor hung his head, ashamed. Donna took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Right, just tell me - these particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"

"Yes!" The Doctor replied unconvincingly.

"Doctor... if your lot got rid of Huon particles... why did they do that?"

"Because they were deadly," he replied gently.

"Oh, my gosh," Donna breathed out.

I quickly walked forward and wrapped my arms around the distressed ginger. "We'll sort it out. Okay? Donna look at me." She slowly lifted her head and looked at me, her green eyes full of fear. "We _will_ fix this. We're not about to loose someone else." We were startled by a series of crashes and bangs. I glanced around, trying to pinpoint where the noise was coming from.

"Oh, she is long since lost," a voice hissed. A wall slid open, revealing a secret chamber with an enormous round hole in the floor. "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!" Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Lance run off through a side door. More robots lined the walls of the chamber, each armed with a gun.

The Doctor peered down the hole. "Someone's been digging... oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?"

"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!" The unknown voice answered.

"Really? Seriously? What for?" The Doctor asked in confusion.

"Dinosaurs," Donna spoke up. I giggled.

The Doctor turned to Donna. "What?"

"Dinosaurs?" Donna repeated.

"What are you on about, dinosaurs?"

"That film, _Under the Earth_ , with dinosaurs," Donna said.

"I was thinking _Journey to the Center of the Earth_ ," I said.

"What?" Donna asked.

"Oh, right. That hasn't come out yet. Never mind," I replied, waving my hand dismissively.

"Yeah, not helping," the Doctor said.

"Sorry," I apologized.

"Such a sweet couple," the voice said.

"Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad," the Doctor said. "Where are you?"

"High in the sky, floating so high on Christmas Night," the voice answered.

"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom! Come on, let's have a look at you!"

"Who are you with such command?" The voice asked.

"I'm the Doctor."

"Prepare your best medicines, doctor-man, for you will be sick at heart." Suddenly, a large spider-like alien appeared, snarling and growling. My jaw practically hit the floor.

"The Racnoss... but that's impossible, you're one of the Racnoss!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"Empress of the Racnoss," the Empress corrected.

"So if you're the Empress, where are the rest? Or are you the only one?" I asked.

"Such a sharp mind," the Empress hissed.

"That's it, the last of your kind," the Doctor concluded. He turned to Donna. "The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago, billions. They were carnivores, omnivores, they devoured whole planets."

"Racnoss are born starving, is that our fault?" The Empress said.

"They eat people?" Donna asked, disgusted.

I glanced up. "Did H C Clements wear black and white shoes?"

"He did!" Donna laughed. "We used to laugh, we used to call him the fat cat in spats." I pointed up to a web on the ceiling, where a pair of black and white shoes could be seen poking out. Donna clasped a hand to her mouth. "Oh, my gosh!"

"Mm, my Christmas dinner," the Empress cackled.

"You shouldn't even exist! Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss - they were wiped out," the Doctor pointed out.

"Except for me," the Empress said.

"But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking," Donna snapped at the Racnoss, attempting to keep her attention and away from Lance who had appeared on a balcony above the Empress. "Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?" Lance climbed down the ladder, axe at the ready. "Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me."

"The bride is so feisty!" The Racnoss hissed.

"Yes, I am! And I don't know what you are, you big... thing. But a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!" Donna shouted at Lance, who had reached the bottom of the ladder and snuck up behind the Empress. He swung the axe and the Empress spun around, hissing. Lance suddenly stopped, glancing at Donna and started to laugh.

"That was a good one. Your face!" Lance laughed, pointing at the Empress.

"Lance is funny," the Empress said, laughing along with Lance.

"What?" Donna said.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said to Donna quietly.

Donna furrowed her brows. "Sorry for what? Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"

"Gosh, she's thick," Lance replied, staring at Donna pityingly. "Months I had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."

Donna shook her head, uncomprehendingly. "I don't understand."

I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "How did you meet him?"

"In the office," she replied.

"He made you coffee."

Donna stared at me. "What?"

"Every day, I made you coffee," Lance said, as is he was addressing an idiot.

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months," the Doctor told her.

Donna's eyes widened in horror and disbelief. "He was poisoning me?"

"It was all there in the job titled - the Head of Human Resources."

"This time, it's personnel," Lance said, him and the Racnoss laughing.

Donna looked up at Lance. "But... we were getting married."

Lance shrugged. "Well, I couldn't risk you running off. I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavor Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap - 'oh, Brad and Angelina - is Posh pregnant?' X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me, dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia," he ranted. I gave Donna a sympathetic glance. She stood staring at Lance with an expression of increasing hurt and confusion. "I deserve a medal."

"Is that what the Empress offered you, a position as her consort?" I asked, wrinkling my nose in disgust.

"It's better than a night with her," Lance replied, gesturing to Donna. I glared at him

"But I love you," Donna said plaintively.

"That's what made it easy," Lance sneered. "It's like you said, Doctor - the big picture - what's the point of it all if the Human Race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to... go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?"

"Who is this little physician and his pet?" The Empress asked.

I glared at the giant spider. "Who you calling a pet?"

"What she said - Martian," Lance answered.

"Oh, we're sort of... homeless," the Doctor said, placing a calming hand on my shoulder. "But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's gonna help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"

"I think he wants us to talk," Lance scoffed.

The Empress nodded. "I think so too."

"Well, tough! All we need is Donna!" Lance snapped.

"Kill this chattering little doctor-man and his pet!"

"I'm not his pet!" I shouted.

Donna moved in front on the Doctor and I. "Don't you hurt them!"

"No, no, it's all right," the Doctor said.

"No, I won't let them!" Donna said, glancing around fearfully.

"At arms!" The Racnoss said. The robots lining the room pointed their guns at the Doctor and I.

"Ah, now. Except," the Doctor stuttered, pulling me behind him protectively.

"Take aim!"

"Well, I just want to point out the obvious-"

"They won't hit the bride," the Empress assured us. "They're such very good shots."

"Just- just- just- hold on, just a tick, just a tiny- just a little- tick," the Doctor said as we backed up nervously. "If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So, reverse it... the spaceship comes to her." He tweaked the test tube of Huon particles that I had given him earlier. Both the vial and Donna glowed.

"Fire!" The Racnoss ordered. The robots fired, but it was too late. The TARDIS materialized around us.

The Doctor and I darted up to the console. "Off we go!" He said. "Oh, you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're gonna use it. We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet core, it must've been there since the beginning." I glanced at Donna and I noticed she was shaking with silent tears. I walked over and wrapped my arms around the ginger, rubbing her back comfortingly. "That's just brilliant. Molto bene! I've always wanted to see this. Donna - we're going further back than I've ever been before."

"Doctor," I said.

"Hmm?" He hummed looking up and finally nothing Donna distress.

"Shut up." He nodded and finished punching in the coordinates in silence. I guided Donna over to the captain's chair and sat her down, rubbing her back comfortingly.

The Doctor poked his head around the console. "We've arrived... want to see?" He asked quietly.

"I s'pose," Donna replied unenthusiastically. He swung the monitor around for Donna to see where we had landed.

"That's a bit small, don't you think?" I told him.

"Mmm, you're right. Maybe Donna's way is best," the Doctor replied. He went over to the doors and looked back at us expectantly. "Come on." Donna slowly got to her feet and we went to join him. "No human's ever seen this. You'll be the first."

"All I want to see is my bed," Donna said sadly.

"Donna Noble - welcome to the creation of the Earth." The Doctor opened the doors and Donna's jaw dropped. Enormous rocks float about and the sun shown through colored dust and gas clouds, creating a beautiful display. "We've gone back 4.6 billion years. There's no Solar System, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas. That's the Sun over there, brand new. Just beginning to burn."

"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked.

"All around us... in the dust."

"Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just... tiny," Donna sighed.

"No, but that's what you do. The Human Race. Making sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

"So, I came out of all this?"

The Doctor grinned. "Isn't that brilliant?" I watched as a huge chunk of rock floated past lazily.

"I think that's the Isle of Wight," Donna commented. We all laughed.

"Eventually, gravity takes hold," the Doctor explained. "Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in, everything, piling in until you get the..."

"Earth."

"Question is...what was the first rock?" I mused. Just then, a large star shaped rock emerged.

Donna pointed to it. "Look."

"It's the Racnoss," I whispered.

The Doctor rushed back over to the console. "Hold on - the Racnoss are hiding from the war! What's it doing?"

"Exactly what you said," Donna answered as she and I watched all the other rocks zoom towards the Racnoss ship.

The Doctor came running back over. "They didn't bury something at the center...they became the center," I realized. "They were the first rock." The TARDIS suddenly shuddered violently, nearly knocking us off our feet.

"What was that?" Donna asked.

"Trouble," the Doctor answered, slamming the doors shut.

"What the heck's it doing?" Donna shouted as we all hung on for dear life.

"Remember that little trick I pulled - particles pulling particles. It works in reverse - they're pulling us back!" The Doctor said. He and I desperately tried to pilot the TARDIS, but it was no use.

"Well, can't you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?"

"Backseat driver," the Doctor snapped.

"Wait! We can use this!" I shouted, grabbing the extrapolator from under the console.

"The extrapolator!" The Doctor exclaimed, grinning. He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead. "Can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!" He waited until we had almost completely materialized. "Now!" He shouted. I hit the extrapolator with a hammer, causing us to disappear and reappear. "We're about 200 yards to the right. Come on!" We bolted out of the TARDIS and ran down the dark corridor we had landed in. We stopped at the door that led up to the flood barrier.

"But what do we do?" Donna asked.

The Doctor pulled out a stethoscope and placed it on the door, trying to hear what was behind it. "I don't know! I make it up as I go along! But trust me, I've got a history."

"But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles - but what for?"

"Well, when our people unravelled the Racnoss's power, the Huon particles ceased to exist and they got stuck at the center of the Earth," I explained, crossing my arms and watching the Doctor.

"They've just been in hibernation for billions of years. Frozen. Dead. Kaput!" The Doctor added. "So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it and you have never been so quiet." Both of us finally noticed that since we had started explaining, the normally loud ginger hadn't said a word. We turned around to find that Donna had gone. I growled in frustration and kicked the wall, only succeeding in giving myself a sore foot. The Doctor looked up and down the empty corridor, but Donna was nowhere in sight. He sighed and opened the door with his sonic screwdriver, only to be confronted with two armed robots.

"You remembered to reconnect those two wires, right?" I asked the Doctor and he and I made our way to the chamber where the Empress was.

 _"_ Yes _,_ " the Doctor replied. He had managed to deactivate the two robots and we had commandeered their cloaks. He had also rewired the controller he had taken from the robots at the wedding reception so it now controlled the robots. We slipped into the chambered and took our places next to the other robots. Donna and Lance were strapped to the ceiling by a web.

"Activate the particles. Purge every last one!" The Empress was saying. Both Donna and Lance glowed. "And release!" The golden particles extracted themselves and zoomed down into the hole. "The secret heart unlocks. And they will waken from their sleep of Ages."

"Who will? What's down there?" Donna asked.

"How thick are you?" Lance scoffed. I suppressed a growl.

"My children, the long lost Racnoss. Now will be born to feast on flesh!" The Empress declared. We could hear chirping and the patter of feet as the spiders climbed up the hole. I shivered involuntarily. I hated spiders. "The web-star shall come to me. My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Perish the web."

"Use her! Not me! Use her!" Lance panicked.

"Oh, my funny little Lance! But you are quite impolite to your lady-friend. The Empress does not approve." The web holding Lance up loosened and he tumbled down into the hole.

"Laaaaaance!" Donna screamed. I stared at the hole sadly. I may not have liked the guy, but he didn't deserve that.

"Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat," the Empress ordered. I clenched my fists. Now she had done it. The Doctor and I weren't going to let her get away with harming the people we fought so hard to protect.

' _Come on,_ ' the Doctor told me. Together he and I walked up the stairs opal the side of the chamber.

"My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them!" The Empress declared. She turned and hissed. "So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor-man and his pet."

I threw off my cloak. "For the last time, I'm not his pet! I'm his wife!" I snapped.

The Doctor threw off his own cloak. "Oh well. Nice try. I've got you, Donna!" He aimed his sonic at her and the web loosened.

"I'm gonna fall!" Donna shrieked.

"You're gonna swing!" I corrected. Donna grabbed hold of a tendril of webbing and swung down towards us, screaming the whole way.

"I've got ya!" The Doctor said, his arms outstretched to catch her. Unfortunately, the strand of web was too long and Donna swung right underneath us, smashing into the wall with a dull bang. I cringed. "... oh. Sorry," the Doctor apologized.

"Thanks for nothing," Donna snapped, picking herself up off the floor.

"The doctor-man and his pet amuse me," the Empress said, sneering. I glared daggers at the giant spider.

"Empress of the Racnoss - I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you a place in the universe to coexist. Take that offer and end this now," the Doctor said.

"These men are so funny," the Empress said.

"What's your answer?"

"Oh - I'm afraid I have to decline," the Empress laughed.

The Doctor and I stared at her darkly. "What happens next is your own doing."

"I'll show you what happens next," the Empress hissed. "At arms!" The robots raised their guns. "Take aim! And-"

"Relax," the Doctor said quietly. The robot went limp.

"What did you do?" Donna asked, staring up at us.

"Guess what I've got, Donna?" The Doctor pulled the controller from his jacket pocket. "Pockets."

Donna blinked. "How did that fit in there?"

"Bigger on the inside," I replied with a slight smirk.

"Robo-forms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh," the Empress declared.

"Oh, but we're not from Mars," I said.

"Then where?"

"Our home planet is far away and long-since gone. But its name lives on. Gallifrey," the Doctor said darkly.

"They murdered the Racnoss!" The Empress snarled.

"I warned you. You did this." The Doctor pulled a handful of baubles from his pocket.

"No! No! Don't! No!" The Empress panicked. He threw the baubles into the air. Some of them flew into down the corridor and destroyed the walls, letting in the Thames. Another exploded at the Empress's feet. "My children!" She wailed. The Doctor and I watched silently, surrounded by water and fire, while the river flowed down into the hole. "No! My children! My children!"

"Doctor! Wonder! You can stop now!" Donna shouted. We watched the wailing Racnoss for a moment longer before finally pulling away.

"Come on! Time we got you out!" The Doctor said. Donna ran up the stairs after us. We ran back to the flood barrier door and started climbing up the ladder.

"But what about the Empress?" Donna asked.

"She's used up all her Huon energy - she's defenseless!" The Doctor told her.

' _Enjoying the view?_ ' I asked the Doctor as he climbed up behind me.

' _Very much so._ '

We reached the top and the Doctor opened the lid. The three of us watched as the Empress's ship hovering over London was blown apart. We clambered out onto the flood barrier, the Doctor holding onto both Donna and I so we wouldn't fall. I shivered a bit as the cool night air brushed against my skin. We smiled and cheered when we saw that the Racnoss had been destroyed.

"Just... there's one problem," Donna said, breathing heavily from climbing the ladder.

"What's that?" The Doctor asked.

"We've drained the Thames." I looked around and sure enough, the entire Thames had been emptied

"Oops," I said. We collapsed into fits of laughter as boats stranded in the now dry Thames honked away.

We made it back to the TARDIS and landed outside Donna's house. "There we go," the Doctor said as we stepped out. "Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything." I chuckled and patted the blue box affectionately.

"More than I've done," Donna said.

The Doctor scanned her with his sonic. "Nope! All the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine."

"Told you we'd fix it," I said, smiling.

"Yeah, but apart from that... I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."

"I'm sorry we couldn't save him," I told her sadly.

"He deserved it," Donna said. The Doctor and I raised and eyebrow at her. Her face softened. "No, he didn't." She glanced back at her house. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."

The Doctor smiled. "Best Christmas present they could have." I smiled as I watched Donna's parents embrace each other through the window. "Oh, no, I forgot - you hate Christmas."

Donna nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Even if it snows?" I asked. I tweaked a switch on the TARDIS and a ball of light shot out of the top and into the air, exploding like a firework. Snow began to fall lightly around us.

"I can't believe you did that!" Donna said, laughing in delight.

"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation," I said casually.

Donna smiled at us. "Merry Christmas."

The Doctor smiled back. "And you. So... what will you do with yourself now?"

"Not getting married for starters. And I'm not gonna temp anymore. I dunno..." She sighed. "travel... see a bit more of planet Earth... walk in the dust. Just... go out there and do something." The Doctor and I glanced at each other, not even needing to communicate via our mental link to know what the other was thinking.

"Well, you could always..." The Doctor said slowly.

"What?"

"... come with us..." He finished tentatively.

Donna smiled. "No."

"Okay," the Doctor replied quickly, both of us trying to hide our disappointment.

"I can't..."

"No, that's fine," I added in false indifference.

"No, but really... everything we did today... do you live your life like that?" Donna asked.

"... Not all the time," the Doctor said, though he didn't sound very convincing.

"I think you do. And I couldn't," Donna said, looking at us apologetically.

"But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful," he tried.

"And it's terrible," Donna replied. "That place was flooding and burning and they were dying and you two stood there like... I don't know... strangers. And then you made it snow - I mean, you two scare me to death!" I frowned and nodded sadly.

"Well then," the Doctor said after a short silence.

"Tell you what I will do though - Christmas dinner. Oh, come on," Donna offered.

The Doctor shook his head. "We don't do that sort of thing."

"You did it last year, you said so. And you might as well because Mum always cooks enough for twenty," Donna insisted.

The Doctor hesitated, glancing at me. I shrugged. After seeing the way her mother was at the reception, I'm not sure I wanted to be at a dinner table with her. "Oh, all right then. But you go first, better warn them. And... don't say we're Martian." He gestured to the TARDIS. "We just have to park her properly, she might drift off to the Middle Ages. We'll see you in a minute." We entered the TARDIS and the Doctor began setting coordinates, but not to remark her.

"Doctor! Wonder!" Donna shouted, seeming to realize we weren't coming back. The Doctor stopped the engines and we both poked our heads out the door.

"Blimey, you can shout," the Doctor said.

"Am I ever gonna see either of you again?" Donna asked.

I gave her a small smile. "I hope so."

"Just... promise me one thing; find someone."

"We don't need anyone," the Doctor dismissed.

Donna gave us a look. "Yes, you do. Because sometimes, I think you need someone to stop you."

"Yeah," the Doctor said quietly. "Thanks then, Donna - good luck - and just... be magnificent."

Donna smiled and laughed. "I think I will, yeah."

"I know you will," I told her. The Doctor and I retreated into the he TARDIS again.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes and poked his head out the door again. "Oh, what is it now?" He asked in mock exasperation.

"That friend of yours... what was her name?"

"Her name was Rose," he replied, a lump forming in his throat. He closed the door again and set new coordinates. The engines started up and I looked over at the Doctor. At the mention of Rose's name, my eyes had started to water. I ran over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my head in his chest as I cried. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly. We stood there for who knows how long as we finally had the time to morn the loss of our dear friend.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Next chapter we get to meet Martha. Please review, I could really use the motivation. Till next time!  
**


	31. Smith and Jones

**Hello readers! I'm so happy that I managed to get this chapter done within a week. I just came up with idea for another story that I'm real excited about. It's going to be a Doctor Who/X-Men crossover(sort of. I only plan on mentioning some of the X-Men characters.) My oc will be a mutant that travels with the Doctor (she will be from the Whoniverse, so she won't have any foreknowledge.) I wanted to know what you guys think about this idea. Anyway, I'm sure you're eager to read the chapter so I'll let you guys get to it.**

 **You guys know the drill, I only own my oc.**

* * *

' _I really hope we find out what is going on here pretty darn quick,_ ' I grumbled to the Doctor as I came back into his hospital room, carrying a cup of coffee I had just bought. ' _Have you seen the prices they're charging in the cafeteria? It's ridiculous._ '

The Doctor chuckled. ' _I'm sure we'll find out soon_ ,' he assured me. I sat down in the chair beside his bed with a huff and set my coffee down on the side table. I reached my TARDIS blue backpack purse and pulled out my copy of _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,_ got as comfortable as I could in the chair and started reading. It had been a few months since we lost Rose. We had taken a bit of time off from traveling, not really in the mood since we had lost our companion and friend. Eventually, we had both gotten tired of being cooped up in the TARIDS, despite her infinite amount of rooms. A couple of days ago, we had noticed some plasma coils around the hospital and decided we needed to investigate. I had checked the Doctor in under the pretense of severe abdominal pains. The Doctor was currently sitting in a hospital bed in his pajamas while I read my book in a chair beside him. I glanced up as a small group of people entered the room. Mr. Stoker, the head of the hospital was leading the group. They were all relatively young and dressed in doctor's coats, most likely students.

"Now then, Mr Smith, a very good morning to you. How are you today?" Mr. Stoker asked the Doctor.

"Aw, not so bad, still a bit, you know. Blah," the Doctor replied.

"John Smith, admitted yesterday by his wife with severe abdominal pains," Mr. Stoker explained to the medical students, who had crowed around the Doctor's bed. "Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me."

A young, dark skinned woman stepped forward with a nod. "That wasn't very clever, running around outside, was it?" She scolded the Doctor as she took out a stethoscope.

"Sorry?" The Doctor said, confused.

"On Chancery Street this morning. You came up to me and took your tie off and your wife put it on her head," Jones explained. I furrowed my brows in confusion. The Doctor and I had been here all morning. I only left the room to get a cup of coffee from the cafeteria.

The Doctor furrowed his brows. "Really? What did we do that for?"

Jones shrugged. "I don't know, you just did."

"Not me. I was here, in bed and my wife only left to get coffee. Ask the nurses," the Doctor said.

"Well, that's weird, cause it looked like you two. Have you got a brother or a sister?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No, not any more. Just us."

"As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones," Mr. Stoker said in annoyance.

"Sorry. Right," Jones said with an apologetic smile. She placed the stethoscope on the Doctor's chest. I lowered my book, curious to see how she would handle hearing the Doctor's two hearts. She glanced at the Doctor, puzzled, but he merely smiled at her. She moved the stethoscope to the other side of his chest. She glanced at the Doctor again, her eyes widening slightly. He simply winked at her. She glanced at me and I gave her a small smile.

"I weep for further generations," Mr. Stoker muttered. "Are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?"

"Um. I don't know. Stomach cramps?" Jones suggested nervously. I raised my eyebrows slightly. Interesting. She decided not to say anything about the Doctor's double hearts.

"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis," Mr. Stoker pointed out. "And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart." He picked up the clipboard hanging on the end of the bed, but dropped it when he received an electric shock.

"That happened to me this morning," Jones said.

"I had the same thing on the door handle," a young man added.

"And me, on the lift," another young woman piped up.

"That's only to be expected. There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by, anyone?" Mr. Stoker said, looking around at his students expectantly.

"Benjamin Franklin," the Doctor answered.

Mr. Stoker smiled slightly. "Correct!"

"Our mate Ben, that was a day and a half," the Doctor commented. I groaned quietly and went back to reading my book. "I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked..."

"Quite..."

"... and then I got electrocuted," the Doctor finished.

"That was your own fault," I told him, not looking up from my book. "I told you not to stand out in a thunderstorm while holding a kite, but did you listen? No!"

"Moving on," Mr. Stoker said, ushering his students out of the room. "I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric," he added quietly to one of the students. "And next we have..."

"Great, now they think we're crazy," I grumbled, turning a page. "Why did you have to go and mention Ben, you clot?"

"He asked," the Doctor protested.

"He asked who proved that lightening was a form of static electricity. He didn't ask for a retelling of our adventure. Now he wants us to visit psychiatric. I just hope we find out what's going on around here before that."

"I don't understand why we didn't just check you in. You were the one who was having stomach problems," the Doctor pointed out.

I peered at him over the top of my book. "I hate hospitals, you know that."

"I don't like hospitals either," he reminded me. "I wish you would at least let me examine you, so I could figure out why you were throwing up."

"I told you, it was just something I ate," I dismissed. "I never really did trust the chefs on that planet."

"They are the galaxy's most renowned chefs," the Doctor said.

"I don't know, there was something off about that one though," I insisted.

The Doctor thought for a moment. "Okay, I will admit, that one was a little creepy, but that doesn't mean anything."

"Well, point being, I'm feeling better now," I said. "Shouldn't we start investigating instead of sitting around arguing about who should have been checked in?"

"Right." The Doctor hopped out of bed and I passed him a blue dressing gown I pulled out of my bag.

We strolled down the hall, looking for anything suspicious. We passed by the employee area. "But listen, I tell you what we'll do," a familiar voice said. The Doctor and I paused in the doorway and noticed Jones talking to someone on the phone. She looked up and stared at us in confusion as we continued on.

"There has to be something," the Doctor muttered to himself. I glanced out a nearby window and my eyes widened at what I saw.

"Doctor," I called quietly. He came over, his own eyes widening when he saw what had caught my attention. It was raining outside, which of course wouldn't have been a big deal if it wasn't going up. "How's that for something." Suddenly, the entire hospital began shaking violently. The Doctor quickly wrapped his arms around me protectively as we were both knocked to the floor. We lifted our heads slowly once the shaking had stopped.

"You alright?" The Doctor asked, getting up and helping me to my feet.

"Yeah," I said, glancing out the window again. "But I think we have a problem." Somehow, the entire hospital had been transported to the moon. People around us began to panic, wailing and crying hopelessly.

"I think it's time I got changed so we can investigate properly," the Doctor decided, grabbing my hand and pulling me back down the hall towards our ward.

"All right, everyone back to bed, we've got an emergency but we'll sort it out," Jones assured the patients as the Doctor and I entered the room. The Doctor went over to his bed and pulled the curtain shut. I quickly dug out a blue, pinstriped suit and a pair of red, high top converse and handed them to the Doctor as he began to strip out of his pjs. I stared, running my eyes over him appreciatively. The Doctor noticed.

' _Like what you see?_ ' He asked, smirking at me as he stood in just his pants.

I smiled. ' _You know I do,_ ' I replied back, running a finger down his bare chest flirtatiously, causing him to shiver slightly.

' _As much as I would love to continue this, we do have a job to do,_ ' he reminded me. I nodded with a pout and he proceeded to put the rest of his clothes on.

"It's real. It's really real. Hold on!" Jones said.

"Don't! We'll lose all the air!" The other student with Jones sobbed.

"But they're not exactly air tight," Jones pointed out. I smiled, impressed. She seemed to be the only one not panicking. "If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?"

"Very good point!" The Doctor complimented Jones, pulling aside the curtain, now fully dressed in his new suit.

"Brilliant, in fact," I added. "What was your name?"

"Martha," the dark skinned woman replied.

"And it was Jones, wasn't it?" The Doctor asked and she nodded. "Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?"

"We can't be!" The student cried.

"Obviously we are so don't waste my time," the Doctor snapped at her. I smacked his arm. The poor girl was in shock.

"Martha, is there a balcony or something on this floor?" I asked.

"By the patients' lounge, yeah," she said.

"Fancy going out?" The Doctor asked.

"Okay," she agreed quickly.

"We might die," I pointed out.

"We might not."

The Doctor and I smiled, pleased with her answer. "Good! C'mon. Not her, she'd hold us up," the Doctor said, pointing to the student next to Martha. We jogged out of the room, following the signs to the patients' lounge.

We stood in front of the doors, and slowly pushed the, open, stepping out onto the balcony. "We've got air!" Martha gasped. "How does that work?"

"Just be glad it does," the Doctor said.

"I've got a party tonight. It's my brother's twenty-first. My mother's going to be really... really..." She trailed off, not wanting to finish that thought.

"You okay?" I asked in concern.

Martha nodded. "Yeah."

"Sure?"

"Yeah."

"Want to go back in?" The Doctor asked.

"No way. I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same, it's beautiful," Martha said.

The Doctor and I looked over at her in slight surprise. "You think?"

"How many people want to go to the moon? And here we are!" She said in awe as we gazed out at the Earth.

"Standing in the earthlight."

"What do you think happened?" Martha asked.

"What do you think?" I asked her.

Martha thought for a moment. "Extraterrestrial. It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded man, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben, Christmas, those Cybermen things. I had a cousin. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home." I looked back at the Earth sadly. I remembered Adeola was one of the scientists taken over by the Cybermen. Looking at Martha, I could see the family resemblance.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said quietly.

"Yeah."

"We were there. In the battle," the Doctor said.

"I promise you, Mr. And Mrs. Smith, we will find a way out," Martha assured us. "If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way."

"It's not Smith, that's not our real name," the Doctor replied, pacing around the balcony.

"Who are you, then?" Martha asked, confused.

"I'm Wonder and he's the Doctor," I answered.

"Me too, if I can pass my exams," Martha said with a small laugh. "What is it, then, Doctor Smith?"

"Just the Doctor," the Doctor said.

Martha blinked. "How do you mean, just the Doctor?"

The Doctor looked over at her. "Just... the Doctor."

"What, people call you 'the Doctor'?" Martha scoffed.

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title," Martha said.

"Well, I'd better make a start, then," the Doctor replied.

I looked out at the surface of the moon, leaning over the side railing a bit. "There has to be a force field of some sort keeping the air in," I mused. I glanced around and found a pebble. I threw it and it hit something that we couldn't see. "Like that."

"If that's like a bubble sealing us in, that means this is the only air we've got. What happens when it runs out?" Martha asked apprehensively.

"How many people in this hospital?" The Doctor asked.

Martha shrugged. "I don't know, a thousand?" She guessed.

"One thousand people. Suffocating."

"Why would anyone do that?" Martha asked, horrified.

"Head's up! Ask them yourself," I said as three huge column shaped ships flew overhead. They landed and aliens started marching in lines towards the hospital.

"Aliens. That's aliens. Real, proper aliens," Martha said.

"Judoon," the Doctor and I said together, staring darkly at the marching aliens.

The Doctor, Martha, and I made our way to the entrance of the hospital. We hid behind some potted plants on a balcony so we could get a good view. The Judoon marched into the hospital and people scattered, screaming. The people ran and hid behind anything they could find. The Judoon surrounded the people and the chief Judoon removed his helmet, revealing a rhinoceros head. "Bo sco fo do no kro blo co sho ro!" He said.

One of the other medical students that had come into the Doctor's ward approached the chief Judoon. "We are citizens of planet earth. We welcome you in peace," he said nervously. The chief pushed him against the wall and shone a blue light in his face. "Please don't hurt me, I was just trying to help, I'm sorry, don't hurt me, please don't hurt me." The Judoon played back his words and stuck the device in a port on the front of his armor.

"Language assimilated. Designation Earth English. You will be catalogued," the chief Judoon declared. He shone another blue light in the med student's face and drew a black 'X' on his hand. "Category: human. Catalogue all suspects." All the Judoon began scanning the rest of the people and then marking their hands.

"Oh, look down there, you've got a little shop. I like a little shop," the Doctor said happily, noticing a small gift shop in the lobby. I nudged him to get him back on track.

"Never mind that! What are Judoon?" Martha asked.

"Galactic police. Well, police for hire," the Doctor answered.

"They're more like interplanetary thugs," I corrected.

"And they brought us to the moon?" Martha questioned, confused.

I nodded. "Neutral territory. Judoon have no jurisdiction on the Earth according to galactic law, so they had to isolate us."

"That rain? Lightning? That was them, using an H2O scoop," the Doctor explained.

"What's that about 'galactic law'? Where'd you get that from?" Martha asked. "If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"

"No. But I like that. Good thinking," the Doctor complimented. "No, it's more simple. They're making a catalogue, it means they're after something non-human, which is very bad news for Wonder and I."

"Why?" The Doctor and I looked at her pointedly. "Oh, you're kidding me." We each raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't be ridiculous. Stop looking at me like that."

"Come on, then." The Doctor and I got to our feet and Martha quickly followed.

We ran down a corridor till we found an office. "Martha, go find out where the Judoon are while the Doctor and I trying to figure out who it is they're looking for," I told the med student. She nodded and ran out.

"Alright, let's see what we can find," the Doctor said, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and going over to the computer. A couple minutes later, Martha came jogging back into the room.

"They've reached third floor," she said. She noticed the Doctor's sonic. "What's that thing?"

"Sonic screwdriver," the Doctor answered, still sonicing the computer.

"Well, if you're not going to answer me properly!" Martha scoffed.

"No, really, it is," he insisted. "It's a screwdriver, and it's sonic. Look." He held it up for her to see.

"What else have you got? A laser spanner?" Martha asked sarcastically.

"I did, but it was stolen by Emily Pankhurst, cheeky woman."

"I did tell you to watch out for her," I reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah," he dismissed. He smacked the computer in frustration. "Oh, this computer! The Judoon must have locked it down." He ran a hand over his face tiredly. "Judoon platoon upon the moon. Cause we were just traveling past, I swear, we were just wandering, we weren't looking for trouble, honestly, we were 't, but Wonder noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning, that's plasma coils, been building up for two days now, so we checked in, we thought something was going on inside, it turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above."

"But what were they looking for?" Martha asked.

"Something that looks human, but isn't," I told her.

"Like you two. Apparently."

"Like us. But not us," the Doctor said.

"Haven't they got a photo?" Martha questioned.

I shook my head. "That would be nice, but it might be a shape-changer."

"Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?"

"If they declare the hospital guilty of harboring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution," the Doctor told her.

Martha blinked in shock. "All of us?"

"Oh yes. If I can find this thing first... Oh!" The Doctor suddenly exclaimed. "Just that they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick! They wiped the records. Oh, that's clever."

"What are we looking for?" Martha asked hopefully.

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up even more so than it already did. "I don't know. Any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms. Maybe there's a back-up." He quickly started sonicing the computer again.

"Just keep working. I'll go ask Mr Stoker, he might know," Martha said, running out the door.

I watched the Doctor as he worked, smiling in amusement at his messed up hair. I reached forward and started to fix it as he worked. He groaned in frustration, still unable to get the back-up restored. "Here, let me try," I said, gently moving him out of the way. I held my hand out for the sonic and he handed it over with a sigh. I soniced the hard drive and typed a few keys on the keyboard. I grinned triumphantly when the back-up was restored.

"What did you do?" The Doctor asked, staring at the screen.

"Something Martian," I told him, handing him the sonic back. I stood on my tip toes to give him a quick kiss as he pouted at me for not telling him what I did. "Come on, let's go tell Martha." We jogged back out into the corridor and nearly collided with Martha. "We've restored the back-up."

"I found her," Martha said.

"You what?" The Doctor asked. We turned as a Slab broke down a door and headed our way. "Run!" The Doctor grabbed Martha's hand and we ran. We ran down a flight of stair and skidded to a halt when we spotted the Judoon coming up the stairs. We ran through a doorway and onto the fourth floor. We ran, skidding around corners, with the Slab hot in our tails.

"This way!" I shouted, spotting a sign for the radiology room. The Doctor slammed the door shut and locked it.

"When I say 'now', press the button," the Doctor ordered, placing his sonic screwdriver into the X-ray machine as the Slab slammed into the door.

"I don't know which one," Martha complained.

"Find out!" He shouted. Martha and I ran behind the X-ray shield. I pulled out the manual and quickly scanned through it.

"It's the yellow button," I told Martha.

"Are you sure?" She asked apprehensively.

"Yes!" The Slab managed to break down the door.

"Now!" Martha slammed her hand onto the big yellow button, starting the X-ray machine, causing the Slab to go ridged and the Doctor's skeleton to be visible. The machine shut off and the Slab collapsed, dead.

"What did you do?" Martha asked, staring at the Slab.

"Increased the radiation by five thousand per cent. Killed him dead," the Doctor explained.

"Isn't that likely to kill you?" Martha asked, concerned.

I shook my head. "He'll be fine. It's just radiation. We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery."

"It's safe for you to come out, I've absorbed it all." The Doctor said and Martha and I came out from behind the screen. "All I need to do is expel it. If I concentrate I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot." I smiled in amusement as he started bouncing up and down. "It's in my left shoe. Here we go, here we go, easy does it..." He shook his foot. "Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out, ah, ah, ah, ah. It is, it is, it is, it is, it is hot. Ah, hold on." He quickly pulled his shoe off and tossed it in the garbage, sock and all. "Done."

Martha stared at him. "You're completely mad."

"Right. I look daft with one shoe." The Doctor pulled off his other shoe and threw that away. "Barefoot on the moon!"

"Those were brand new," I complained.

"So what is that thing?" Martha asked, going over to the Slab. "And where's it from? The planet Zovirax?"

"It's just a Slab. They're called 'Slabs'. Basic slave drones, see?" The Doctor said, poking the Slab's arm. "Solid leather, all the way through."

"Someone has got one heck of a fetish," I commented.

"It came with that woman, Miss. Finnegan," Martha said. It was working for her. Just like a servant."

The Doctor went over to the X-ray machine and pulled out his sonic, which had been fried to a crisp. "My sonic screwdriver," he whined.

"She was one of the patients, but..."

"My sonic screwdriver!" I went over and patted his shoulder comfortingly.

"She had a straw like some kind of vampire."

"Wonder, I loved my sonic screwdriver!"

"Sexy will make you a new one," I told him.

"Doctor! Wonder!" Martha shouted.

"Sorry," the Doctor said, throwing the screwdriver over his shoulder. I quickly leaned back and caught it and stuck it in my pocket. We couldn't have this kind of technology lying around. The Doctor smiled at Martha. "You called me Doctor."

"Anyway!" Martha said in exasperation. "Miss Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mr. Stoker's blood."

"Funny time to have a snack," I commented.

"Yeah, you'd think she'd be hiding," the Doctor agreed. "Unless, no."

My eyes widened, knowing what he was thinking. "You don't think...?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, that's it, wait a minute. Yes! Shape-changer. Internal shape-changer. She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it. If she can assimilate Mr. Stoker's blood, mimic the morphology, she can register as human. We've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!" He ran out of the room and Martha and I followed.

The Doctor, Martha, and I crouched behind a water cooler as another Slab stalked by.

"That's the thing about Slabs. They always travel in pairs," the Doctor said, his chest pressing against my back as he tried to see where the Slab went.

"What about you?" Martha asked.

"What about me what?"

"Haven't you got back-up? Or is it just you two?"

"Uh. Humans," the Doctor scoffed. "We're stuck on the moon running out of air with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, you're asking personal questions. Come on." He helped he to my feet.

"I like that. 'Humans.' I'm still not convinced you two are aliens," Martha said. We stepped out into the hallway and straight into a Judoon. He shone a blue light in the Doctor and I's faces and his device beeped.

"Non-human," the Judoon declared.

Martha stared at us in shock. "Oh my gosh, you really are!"

"And again!" I said in exasperation, grabbing the Doctor and Martha's hands and dragging them down the hall, the Judoon shooting after us. We went to a lower floor, where the patients were sitting on the floor, gasping for breath. "They've done this floor. The Judoon are logical thinkers and just a bit thick. Hopefully they won't check a floor they've already done."

Martha stopped by the med student that had been with her earlier. She was holding an oxygen mask to a patient. "How much oxygen is there?" Martha asked on concern.

"Not enough for all these people," the woman replied sadly. "We're going to run out."

"How are you feeling?" The Doctor asked Martha. "Are you all right?"

Martha nodded, breathing slightly heavier than normal. "I'm running on adrenaline."

"Welcome to our world," I told her. Thankfully with our respiratory by-pass systems, the Doctor and I would be able to hold on a bit longer than the humans.

"What about the Judoon?" Martha asked.

"Ah, great big lung reserves, it won't slow them down," the Doctor said. "Where's Mr Stoker's office?"

"It's this way," Martha said, jogging in front of the Doctor and I. We walked into Mr. Stoker's office only to find no one there except for Mr. Stoker's body. "She's gone! She was here."

The Doctor examined Mr. Stoker's body. "Drained him dry. Every last drop. I was right. She's a plasmavore." I held a hand to my mouth, swallowing a bit of vomit. While I didn't like the sight of death, it didn't normally effect me this way. My stomach seemed to be a bit weak lately. I shook it off, however. Now was not the time to be worrying about my unusually weak stomach.

"What was she doing on Earth?" Martha asked.

"Either hiding or on the run," I guessed.

"Like Ronald Biggs in Rio de Janeiro," the Doctor said. "What's she doing now? She's still not safe. The Judoon could execute us all. Come on." The Doctor stood up and grabbed my hand.

"Wait a minute," Martha said. We stopped and watched as she went over and close Mr. Stoker's eyes, then followed us into the hall.

"Think, think, think. If I was a plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?" The Doctor mused, smacking the top of his head as if that would help him think. I looked around and noticed an MRI sign. I nudged him and nodded to it. "Aah. She's as clever as me. Almost."

"Find the non-humans. Execute," the chief Judoon ordered as he stomped through the corridor.

"Stay here," the Doctor told Martha. "We need time. You're going to have to hold them up."

"How do I do that?" Martha asked in confusion.

"Martha, forgive me for this," the Doctor said. "It's to save a thousand lives, it means nothing. Honestly, nothing." He grabbed her face and placed a quick kiss to her forehead before grabbed my hand and dragging me down the corridor. "I'm sorry for that, Wonder," he apologized as we ran.

"Don't worry about it," I told him, though it did bother me a bit. "It was to save lives."

We walked into the MRI room cautiously. A woman, who I guessed was Miss Finnegan was at the controls, flipping stitches. I flinched slightly at the strange noises the machine was making. ' _Follow my lead_ ,' the Doctor told me. "Have you seen, there are these things, those great big space rhino things, I mean rhinos from space," he exclaimed to Miss Finnegan, causing her to spin around. "And we're on the moon. Great big space rhinos with guns on the moon. And I only came in for my bunions, look." He held up his foot and examined it. "They're all right now, perfectly good treatment, I said to my wife here, I'd recommend this place to anyone, but then we end up on the moon. And did I mention the rhinos?"

"You did, sweetheart," I told him, playing along.

"Hold them!" Miss Finnegan ordered. The Slab that was standing off to the side came over and grabbed the Doctor and I's arms tightly.

"That thing, that big machine thing, is it supposed to be making that noise?" The Doctor asked.

"You wouldn't understand," she dismissed, still futzing with the controls.

"Isn't that a magnetic resonance imaging thing? Like a ginormous sort of a magnet? I did magnets at GCSE."

"You failed that course," I reminded him.

"All the same."

"The magnetic setting is now set to 50,000 Tesla," Miss Finnegan said.

I cringed. "That's a bit strong, isn't it?"

"I can send out a magnetic pulse that will fry the brain-stems of every living thing within 250,000 miles. Except me, safe in this room," she said with a satisfactory smile.

"But... hold on, hold on, I did geography for GCSE, I did pass that one, doesn't that distance include Earth?" The Doctor asked

"Only the side facing the moon. The other half will survive. Call it my little gift."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. ' _How generous of you,_ ' I thought sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive me, I'm a little out of my depth. I've spent the past fifteen years working as a postman, hence the bunions," the Doctor rambled. "Why would you do that?"

"With everyone dead, the Judoon ships will be mine, to make my escape," Miss Finnegan replied.

"Now, that's weird. You're talking like you're some sort of an alien," the Doctor said, smiling in disbelief.

Miss Finnegan smiled at him. "Right-o."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "No!"

"Oh, yes."

"You're kidding us," I said, staring at her.

"I am not."

"We're talking to an alien? In hospital?" The Doctor said, smiling. "What, has the place got an ET department?" I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing.

"It's the perfect hiding place," Miss Finnegan said. "Blood banks downstairs for a midnight feast, and all this equipment I'm ready to arm myself with should the police come looking."

"So, those rhinos, they're looking for you?" The Doctor realized.

"Yes. But I'm hidden," she said, showing him her hand with an 'X'.

The Doctor nodded in realization. "Oh. Right! Maybe that's why they're increasing their scans."

Miss Finnegan snapped her head to the Doctor. "They're doing what?"

"Big chief rhino boy, he said, no sign of a non-human, we must increase our scans... up to setting two?" He replied.

"Then I must assimilate again."

"What does that mean?" The Doctor asked.

"I must appear to be human."

Well, you're welcome to come home with me and the wife," the Doctor offered.

"I'd be honored," I agreed. "I think we still have some cake left over."

"Why should I have cake?" She said, pulling out a drinking straw from her purse. "I've got my little straw."

"That's nice. Milkshake?" The Doctor said as Miss Finnegan approached us. "I like banana."

"I'm partial to chocolate," I added.

Miss Finnegan chuckled. "You're quite the funny man. And yet, I think, laughing on purpose at the darkness. I think it's time you found some peace. Steady him!" The Slab tossed me aside, causing me to hit my head on the wall and slump to the floor.

"Wonder!" the Doctor shouted, struggling against the Slab's grip. The Slab forced the Doctor to his knees and held his head at an awkward angle, exposing his jugular. "What are you doing?" The Doctor asked nervously as Miss Finnegan rubbed his neck.

"I'm afraid this is going to hurt," she replied. "But if it's any consolation, the dead don't tend to remember." I lifted my head in time to see Miss Finnegan plunge her straw into the Doctor's neck and start drinking.

"No! Doctor..." Was all I was able to get out as blackness consumed my vision.

"All units withdraw," the chief Judoon ordered, startling me awake. I opened my eyes to see the Judoon marching out of the room and Martha running after them. I lifted my head up, coughing at the lack of oxygen. I spotted the Doctor laying a few feet away, hopefully just unconscious. Martha came running back in, knelt beside the Doctor, and stared CPR. "One, two, three, four, five," she said, pumping on his chest. She took a deep breath and have him mouth to mouth, then went back to pumping on his chest. "One, two, three, four, five."

"Martha," I called weakly, struggling to get to my feet.

The med student looked over at me. "Wonder! You're okay!"

"Remember, he has two hearts."

Her eyes light up in realization. "Right!"

"Work on him, I'll try to fix the MRI," I told her. She nodded and started pumping the Doctor's chest again, first one side, then the other. Using the wall, I pulled myself to my feet and stumbled to the controls. I looked around trying to figure out how to shut the machine off, but the lack of air was making it difficult to think. I had narrowed it down to two plugs, one blue and one red, when the Doctor came up behind me, coughing. "I don't know which one," I told him.

"Red one," he said. I quickly pulled the red plug and smiled in satisfaction when the scanner shut down. "Come on." He stumbled over to the unconscious Martha and picked her up. I followed after him, coughing. We slowly walked down the corridor, passing by unconscious patients and doctors. We walked into one of the rooms and over to the window, where we saw the Judoon ships taking off. "Come on, come on, come on. Come on, Judoon, reverse it." We both smiled when it started to rain.

"It's raining, Martha," I said. "It's raining on the moon." There was a bright flash as the hospital was transported back to Earth.

The Doctor laid Martha on one of the beds. He took my hand and we headed out of the hospital. We stood and watched for a bit as paramedics arrived to help the people. We walked off back towards the TARDIS, waving and smiling at Martha when she spotted us. "Come on. Let's go get you a new pair of shoes, " I told the Doctor once were back in the TARDIS. "You can't go to a party with no shoes."

"What party?" The Doctor asked in confusion as I dragged him towards our room.

"Martha's brother's party," I reminded him.

"Why would we go to the party? We weren't invited."

"Since when has that ever stopped you?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow. He shrugged. "Beside, I know you liked her and I think we owe her at least one trip for saving your life."

"Alright, alright," the Doctor conceded.

"Now go and get changed," I said, tossing a new suit at him and pulling out another outfit for me. "I'm going to go shower."

"Mind if I join you?" The Doctor asked hopefully.

I smirked at him flirtatiously. "Hurry up then." He quickly followed me into the bathroom.

"You sure this is the right place?" I asked as the Doctor and I stood in the entryway to an alleyway just outside a club.

"This is where the scanner said she would be," the Doctor said. We looked up as a blonde woman in a short dress and high heels stormed out of the club.

"I am not prepared to be insulted!" She said angrily.

A dark skinned man came out behind her. "She didn't mean it, sweetheart. She just said you look healthy."

A dark skinned woman came out after the man. "No, I did not. I said orange," she corrected.

"Clive, that woman is disrespecting me. She's never liked me," the blonde whined.

"Oh, I can't think why, after you stole my husband," the woman snapped.

"I was seduced. I'm entirely innocent! Tell her, Clive!" The blonde demanded.

"And then she has a go at Martha, practically accused her of making the whole thing up," the woman said as Martha and another young woman and man, who I assumed were Martha's siblings, came out of the club.

' _I guess we're at the right place,_ ' I told the Doctor.

"Mum, I don't mind. Just leave it," Martha pleaded.

"Oh. 'I've been to the moon!'" The blonde scoffed. "As if. They were drugged. It said so on the news."

"Since when did you watch the news?" Martha's mother snapped. "You can't handle 'Quiz Mania'." I raised my eyebrows. Talk about family drama.

"Annalise started it," Martha's sister told her. "She did. I heard her."

"Trish, don't make it worse," Martha's brother scolded.

"You're talking, Leo. What did she buy you, soap? A seventy-five pence soap?" Trish asked.

"Oh, I'm never talking to your family again!" Annalise said angrily, storming off.

"Oh, stay. Have a night out," Martha's mother called after her.

"Don't you dare. I'm putting my foot down," Clive warned as he went after Annalise. "This is me, putting my foot down."

"Dad!" Leo shouted.

"Make a fool of yourself!" Martha's mother yelled. "Goodness knows, you've been doing it for the last twenty-five years! Why stop now?" She stormed off after her ex-husband, Leo and Trish following. Martha sighed and looked around, spotting the Doctor and I still standing in the alleyway. We smiled at her and gestured for her to follow us. She came around the corner to find us leaning against the TARDIS.

"I went to the moon today," she said.

"A bit more peaceful than down here," I commented.

"You never even told me who you are."

"The Doctor and this is Wonder," the Doctor said.

"What sort of species? It's not every day I get to ask that," Martha said.

"We're Time Lords."

"Right! Not pompous at all, then," she teased. I shrugged with a smile.

"I just thought since you saved my life and I've got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing, you might fancy a trip," the Doctor said, holding up the new sonic the TARDIS had given him after our shower.

"What, into space?" Martha asked, raising her eyebrows.

The Doctor shrugged. "Well."

"I can't. I've got exams. I've got things to do," Martha insisted. "I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad..."

"Just to let you know, we can travel time," I told her, smirking slightly.

"Get out of here," Martha scoffed.

"We can," the Doctor insisted.

"Come on now, that's going too far."

"We'll prove it." The Doctor and I stepped into the TARDIS and set a course for earlier in the day. We walked out and spotted Martha as she headed into work. We strolled up to her. "Like so," the Doctor said, taking off his tie.

"See?" I said, taking the tie and putting it around my head like the Doctor had done back with the clockwork droids on the spaceship. We strolled back off to the TARDIS, leaving behind a very confused Martha. We piloted the TARDIS back to the present and stepped out.

"Told you!" The Doctor said.

"I know, but... that was this morning!" Martha exclaimed. "But, did you... Oh, my gosh! You can travel in time!" The Doctor grabbed his tie from my head and put it back around his neck. "But hold on, if you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go in to work?"

"Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden," the Doctor said.

"Except for cheap tricks," I added.

Martha looked at the blue box behind us. "And that's your spaceship?"

"It's called the TARDIS. Time and Relative Dimension in Space," the Doctor said.

Martha placed her hand on the box. "Your spaceship's made of wood. There's not much room. We'd be a bit intimate."

I smirked and pushed open the door. "Take a look."

Martha walked in and the Doctor and I followed. "Oh, no, no," she said, quickly walking back out, causing us to chuckle. "But it's just a box. But it's huge. How does it do that?" She came back in. "It's like a box with that room just rammed in. It's bigger on the inside," she said in awe, the Doctor and I mouthing the last bit with her.

"Is it? I hadn't noticed," the Doctor said. He shut the door and threw his coat over one of the coral beams. "All right, then, let's get going."

"But is there a crew? Like a navigator and stuff? Where is everyone?" Martha asked.

"Just us."

Martha blinked. "All on your own?"

"Well, sometimes I have guests. I mean some friends, traveling alongside. I had, there was recently a friend of ours," the Doctor said, shifting uncomfortably. "Rose, her name was, Rose. And... we were together. Anyway." I walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Where is she now?"

"With her family. Happy. She's fine. Not that you're replacing her," he added quickly.

"Never said I was," Martha replied.

"Just one trip to say 'thanks', you get one trip, then back home," the Doctor said. "We'd rather be on our own." I frowned slightly. I for one, didn't like being on our own. I liked when we had a companion.

"You're the one that kissed me," Martha pointed out.

"That was a genetic transfer," the Doctor corrected, looking at Martha pointedly. "Besides, I'm happily married and Wonder would kill me if I cheated on her."

"Darn right I would," I said, only partially teasing.

"For the record?" Martha said. "I'm not remotely interested. I only go for humans."

The Doctor nodded. "Good. Well, then." He danced around the console. "Close down the gravitic anomalizer. Fire up the helmic regulator. And finally, the hand brake. Ready?"

Martha stared at him. "No."

The Doctor grinned. "Off we go." He pulled the final lever and the TARDIS jolted and shook, knocking us about.

"Blimey, it's a bit bumpy," Martha said.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Jones," I said, shaking her hand.

Martha smiled. "It's my pleasure, Mrs. And Mr. Smith."

"By the way, Doctor, I believe the hand brake was the other one," I said.

* * *

 **What did guys think? I tried to add a bit more flirting between the Doctor and Wonder in this chapter, I mean come on, they're married. What do you guys think could be going on with Wonder? Why does she all of a sudden have a weak stomach? Those questions will be answered later on in this season. Please review and let me know your thoughts on the chapter and my idea for a new story. Till next time!**


	32. Shakespear Code

**Hello readers! I'm so sorry this took so long. I was busy updating previous chapters. A few people have asked if Wonder remembered anything from being Elena. The answer is yes and no. I wanted Wonder to have feelings of flashes of memories from her time as Elena. Unfortunately, I didn't know how to incorporate that into the story. I finally figured out how to fit it in so I went back to the previous chapters and put it in. I would appreciate if you guys went back to read those chapters (School Reunion to Doomsday) and let me know what you think. Anyways, onto the new chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

The TARDIS rocked about as the Doctor and I piloted her to our new destination. Martha was clingy to the console for dear life. "But how do you travel in time? What makes it go?" She asked.

"Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything," the Doctor muttered. "Martha, you don't wanna know. It just does. Hold on tight!" He practically climbed on top of the console to reach another lever. I rolled my eyes and reach over to pull the lever. The TARDIS landed with a jolt, knocking Martha to the ground and causing the Doctor to fall off the console.

"Sorry," I apologized with an amused smile as I helped the Doctor up.

"Blimey!" Martha exclaimed as she got to her feet. "Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"

"Yes, and he failed it," I said, passing the Doctor his coat. "I passed first try."

"Well, _you_ lived on a TARDIS farm," the Doctor pointed out. "Of course you were going to pass first time." I shrugged. The Doctor passed Martha her coat as he went over to the doors. "I promised you one trip and one trip only. Outside this door..." He paused and turned to her. "Brave new world."

"Where are we?" Martha asked.

"Take a look," he replied, opening the doors. "After you."

"Oh, you are kidding me," Martha gasped as we stepped out behind her. "You are so kidding me. Oh, my gosh! We did it. We travelled in time. Where are we? No, sorry. I gotta get used to this whole new language. When are we?" The Doctor looked up and quickly grabbed Martha, pulling her back as a man dumped the contents of a bucket out the window.

"Mind the loo!" The man shouted.

"Somewhere before the invention of the toilet. Sorry about that," the Doctor apologized. I quickly put a hand to my mouth, swallowing a bit of vomit. The Doctor glanced back at me, seeming to noticed my discomfort. ' _You alright, Aryia?_ ' He asked gently.

I nodded. ' _I'm fine, Theta. The smell just caught me off guard,_ ' I dismissed. He didn't seemed convinced, but was stopped from pressing the matter by Martha.

"I've seen worse. I've worked the late night shift at A&E," she said, unaware of the Doctor and I's silent conversation. The Doctor started to walk off. "But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?" Martha asked worriedly.

"Of course we can. Why do you ask?" The Doctor asked in confusion.

"It's like in the films. You step on a butterfly; you change the future of the human race," Martha explained.

I smiled at the med student. "That's just in the movies, Martha. Doesn't work like that in reality," I assured her. "But just in case, don't step on any butterflies." I passed her to walk next to the Doctor.

"What if, I dunno, what if I kill my grandfather?"

The Doctor cocked and eyebrow at her. "You planning to?"

Martha shook her head. "No."

"Well, then."

"This is London," Martha said curiously as she looked around.

I nodded. "I think so. Right about, what, 1599?" I looked to the Doctor for confirmation and he nodded.

"Oh, but hold on. Am I all right? I'm not gonna get carted off as a slave, am I?" Martha asked nervously.

"Why would they do that?" The Doctor asked in confusion.

"Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed," Martha said, pointing to herself.

"We're not even human. Just walk about like you own the place. Works for us," the Doctor said, strolling down the street.

"Not usually," I corrected.

"Well, most of the time anyway," the Doctor said.

"You wish," I said.

"Well, some of the time," the Doctor tried. I just giggled quietly. "Anyway, besides, you'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time. Look over there." He pointed to a man shoveling manure into a bucket. "They've got recycling." We passed by two man talking by a barrel full of water. "Water cooler moment."

"And the world will be consumed by flame!" A preacher announced as we passed.

"Global warming," I added with a cheerful smile, causing the preacher to look at us in confusion.

"Oh, yes, and... entertainment!" The Doctor said happily. "Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark right next to..." The Doctor grabbed Martha and I's hands and dragged us around a corner. In front of us was a large round building. "Oh, yes, the Globe Theatre! Brand new. Just opened. Though, strictly speaking, it's not a globe; it's a tetradecagon, 14 sides, containing the man himself."

"Whoa, you don't mean... is Shakespeare in there?" Martha asked, her jaw dropping.

The Doctor and I grinned. "Oh, yes." The Doctor held his other arm out to Martha as he was still holding my hand with the other. "Miss Jones, will you accompany us to the theatre?"

"Yes, Mr. And Mrs. Smith, I will," Martha said excitedly, looping her arm with the Doctor.

"When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare," the Doctor said as we strolled towards the theater.

"Then I could get sectioned!" Martha replied sarcastically. The Doctor and I laughed.

We stood in the audience as we clapped, the performance having just finished. "That's amazing! Just amazing," Martha said gleefully. "It's worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed as women, yeah."

"London never changes," I laughed.

"Where's Shakespeare? I wanna see Shakespeare. Author! Author!" She chanted, pumping her fist in the air. She quickly stopped when the Doctor looked at her. "Do people shout that? Do they shout 'Author'?" A man by us started chanting and soon the entire theatre joined in.

"Well... they do now," the Doctor sighed. I chuckled. A man who could only be _the_ William Shakespeare came out into the stage with exaggerated bows and blowing kisses to the cheering crowd. He was young with dark curly hair and a beard.

"He's a bit different from his portraits," Martha commented.

"Genius. He's a genius, _the_ genius," the Doctor said, smiling at Shakespeare. "The most human Human that's ever been. Now we're gonna hear him speak. Always, he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words."

"Shut your big fat mouths!" Shakespeare shouted, causing the audience to laugh. I turned and started laughing at the disappointed look on the Doctor's face.

"Oh, well," he sighed, pouting.

"You should never meet your heroes," Martha said, smiling at the Doctor in amusement.

"You have excellent taste! I'll give you that. Oh, that's a wig!" Shakespeare declared, pointing to a man in the audience. "I know what you're all saying. _Loves Labour's Lost_ , that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops! Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon." The crowd started yelling 'when'. "Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius," Shakespeare finished with a bow. Suddenly he jerked upright, with a surprised but pleased look on his face. The crowd quieted down. "When? Tomorrow night," he said, causing the crowd to cheer. The cast didn't look to happy about this new development, however. "The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it _Loves Labour's Won_!" The crowd cheered and applauded loudly, but the Doctor and I remained quiet. Something wasn't right in the town of Denmark or London.

"I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of _Loves Labour's Won_ ," Martha commented as we exited the theatre with the rest of the crowd.

"Exactly, the lost play. It doesn't exist, only in rumors," the Doctor said. "It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. No one knows why."

"Have you got a mini-disk or something?" Martha asked hopefully. "We could tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a mint."

"Not a good idea," I told her.

"That would be bad?"

"Just a bit."

"Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?" Martha asked.

"Well, we were just gonna give you a quick little trip in the TARDIS but I suppose we could stay a bit longer," the Doctor decided.

After asking around, we found where Shakespeare was staying. We walked into the Elephant Inn and followed the voices till we found the room. "Hello!" The Doctor greeted, knocking on the door as we entered. "Excuse me! I'm not interrupting, am I? Mr. Shakespeare, isn't it?" Shakespeare was sitting behind a desk, two young men sat on the other side and the landlady stood off to the side, holding a tray under her arm.

"Oh no, no, no, no. Who let you in?" Shakespeare groaned. "No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove..." He trailed off when he spotted Martha and I poking our heads out from behind the Doctor. A flirty smiled slipped onto his face. "Hey, nonny nonny. Sit right down here next to me. He turned to the two young men. "You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go."

"Come on, lads," the landlady said. "I think our William's found his new muses." She and the two men left the room.

"Sweet ladies," Shakespeare purred as Martha and I made to sit down in the two empty chairs. Before I could sit down, however, the Doctor sat in the chair and pulled me into his lap, wrapping an arm around my waist possessively. "Such unusual clothes. So... fitted," Shakespeare continued, raising an eyebrow and smirking slightly at the Doctor.

"Um, verily, forsooth, egads," Martha said, attempting and failing to speak the language of the time period.

The Doctor looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "No, no, don't do that. Don't." He held out his psychic paper to Shakespeare, one arm still wrapped around my waist. "I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS, this if my wife Dame Wonder, and this is our companion, Miss Martha Jones."

"Interesting, that bit of paper. It's blank," Shakespeare said, leaning back in his chair.

"Oh, that's... very clever," the Doctor complimented, impressed. "That proves it. Absolute genius."

"No, it says so right there. Sir Doctor, Dame Wonder, Martha Jones. It says so," Martha insisted, peering at the psychic paper.

"And I say it's blank," Shakespeare repeated.

"Psychic paper. Um, long story," the Doctor told Martha. He sighed. "Oh, I hate starting from scratch."

"Psychic. Never heard that before and words are my trade," Shakespeare commented. "Who are you exactly? More's the point, who is your delicious blackamoor lady?"

Martha stared at the writer. "What did you say?"

"Oops," Shakespeare said. "Isn't that a word we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric..."

Martha laughed in disbelief. "I can't believe I'm hearing this."

"It's political correctness gone mad," I muttered.

"Um, Martha's from a far-off land. Freedonia," the Doctor said.

I glanced at him over my shoulder. ' _Freedonia? Really?_ '

' _I panicked, okay?_ ' He protested.

Just then, a large man entered the room, a scowl on his face. "Excuse me! Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behavior. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mr Shakespeare," Lynley snapped. "As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."

"Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it 'round," Shakespeare told Lynley, rubbing his forehead.

"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine. The script, now!" Lynley demanded angrily.

"I can't."

"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled," Lynley decided.

"It's all go, 'round here, isn't it?" Martha muttered.

"I'm returning to my office for a banning order. If it's the last thing I do, _Love's Labours Won_ will never be played," Lynely declared before storming out.

"Well, then... mystery solved," Martha commented. "That's _Love's Labours Won_ over and done with. Thought it might be something more, you know... more mysterious." I nodded in agreement. That seemed too easy. As if on cue, someone outside screamed. We all rushed outside to see what happened and found Lynely stumbling about. "It's that Lynley bloke."

"What's wrong with him?" The Doctor wondered. He dashed to Lynley's side. "Leave it to men. I'm a doctor."

"So am I near enough," Martha added, rushing over to help. I followed, hoping to help in some way or another. Getting closer to Lynley, I could see he appeared to be coughing up water. Suddenly, he collapsed to the ground and Martha quickly leaned over him, listening for his breathing and heartbeat. The Doctor got to his feet and ran to look down a side street. "Gotta get the heart going," Martha said. "Mr Lynley, c'mon, can you hear me? You're gonna be all right." She prepared to give the collapsed man mouth-to-mouth, but jerked back when water gushed from his mouth. "What the heck is that?" She asked as the Doctor returned.

"I've never seen a death like it," the Doctor said, confused. "His lungs are full of water, he drowned and then... I dunno, like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow." He quickly stood and turned to the landlady, Dolly. "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humors. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away."

"Yes, sir," Dolly replied.

"I'll do it, ma'am," a young maid offered. I narrowed my eyes at the maid as she walked off. I could have sworn I saw her smirk. I shook my head and decided to worry about it later.

"And why are you telling them that?" Martha questioned as the Doctor knelt back down beside Lynley.

"This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages. If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft," he replied.

"Okay, what was it then?"

"Witchcraft," I replied simply.

The Doctor, Martha, and I returned to the inn with Shakespeare. The Doctor was leaning against the fireplace mantle in deep thought. He had his arms wrapped around my waist as I leaned against him. Martha stood next to us. Dolly poked her head into Shakespeare's room. "I got you a room, Sir Doctor. You, your wife, and Miss Jones are just across the landing. It's a bit small, but it's all that was left," she informed the Doctor. I nodded at her gratefully as the Doctor was still deep in thought.

"Poor Lynley," Shakespeare sighed. "So many strange events. Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?"

"Where a woman can do what she likes," Martha retorted.

"And you, Sir Doctor and Lady Wonder," Shakespeare continued, turning to the Doctor and I. How can a man and woman so young have eyes so old?"

"We do a lot of reading," the Doctor replied.

"A trite reply. Yeah, that's what I'd do," Shakespeare said. He turned to Martha. "And you, you look at them like you're surprised they exist. They're as much of a puzzle to you as they are to me."

"I think we should say good night," Martha decided. She nodded to Shakespeare and left.

"I must work. I have a play to complete," Shakespeare said. "But I'll get my answers tomorrow, Doctor, and I'll discover more about you and why this constant performance of yours."

"All the world's a stage," the Doctor replied, gently moving me so he could stand straight.

"Hm, I might use that," Shakespeare hummed. "Good night, Doctor, Wonder." I smiled and nodded to him.

"Nighty-night, Shakespeare," the Doctor replied, taking my hand and walking out the door.

"It's not exactly five-star, is it?" Martha commented as the Doctor and I walked into our room. The room was small with only one bed.

I shrugged. "We'll make it work."

"I've seen worse," the Doctor added.

"I haven't even got a toothbrush," Martha realized.

"Ooh." The Doctor patted his pockets, pulled out a toothbrush, and handed it to Martha. "Contains Venusian spearmint."

"So, who's going where? I mean, there's only one bed," Martha pointed out.

"We'll manage. C'mon." The Doctor flopped onto the bed.

"Uh uh, off. Martha and I are taking the bed. You can take the floor," I told him.

"Why do I have to be on the floor?" The Doctor whined.

"Cause you're the only guy and we would be rather squished if all three of us were on the bed," I told him. He didn't move and I rolled my eyes and sat down next to his legs.

"So, magic and stuff. That's a surprise. It's a little bit _Harry Potter,_ " Martha noted.

"Wait till you read Book Seven. Oh, I cried," the Doctor told her.

"I was a mess," I added. "I had to stop in the middle of the book cause I couldn't see from crying so much."

"But is it real, though?" Martha asked. "I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?"

"'Course it isn't!" The Doctor scoffed. I smacked his leg and gave him a stern look.

"Well, how am I supposed to know?" Martha retorted. "I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break."

"Looks like witchcraft, but it isn't. Can't be," the Doctor dismissed. "Are you gonna stand there all night?"

Martha went over to the other side of the bed and laid down next to him. "Budge up a bit, then."

"Come on, Doctor," I said, patting his leg. "Three of us aren't going to fit on the bed."

"Sure we can," he assured. He reached up and grabbed my arm, pulling me down so I was practically laying on top of him. I sighed and laid my head on his chest as he wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Sorry, Martha," I apologized. She shrugged and settled down onto the bed.

"You know, us three here, same bed. Tongues will wag," Martha joked, causing me to giggle quietly.

"There's such a thing as psychic energy but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that," the Doctor mused completely oblivious to what Martha just said. "No. There's something I'm missing, Martha. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it. Rose would know," he added wistfully. "A friend of ours, Rose. Right now, she'd say exactly the right thing."

"Rose didn't know everything, Doctor," I said quietly. "She was human just like Martha. She will learn with time." I didn't like how he was comparing Martha to Rose. Sure Rose was a smart girl, but so was Martha. I was already quite impressed with they way the med student was handling all the alien and time travel stuff.

"Still, can't be helped," the Doctor sighed. "You're a novice, never mind. I'll take you back home tomorrow."

"Great!" Martha grumbled. She turned away and blew out the candle.

 **Third Person POV**

A short while later, Martha and Wonder were fast asleep. The Doctor, however, was wide awake, the gears in his head turning full speed. He couldn't figure out what had killed Lynley and how. He gazed down at Wonder who still had her head laying on his chest. She looked so peaceful, her mouth opened slightly and her hand resting on his chest, clutching lightly on his suit jacket. He smiled softly and reached over to move a strand of hair that had come out its braid from her forehead. Wonder furrowed her brows and shifted her position slightly, stretching her legs. She let out a deep contented sigh as she resettled. The Doctor placed his hand on Wonder's and she tightened her fingers around his hand slightly, causing him to smile. He returned his gaze to the ceiling as he went back into deep thought.

 **Wonder's POV**

I was woken abruptly by someone screaming. The Doctor wasted no time in shooting to his feet, accidentally dumping me on the floor as he dashed out of the room. I quickly picked myself up and followed Martha out of the room. "Wha'? What was that?" Shakespeare asked drowsily as he woke up when we ran in. I went over to the Doctor who was hovering over a collapsed Dolly. Martha darted to the window.

The Doctor placed two fingers on Dolly's throat, searching for a pulse. "Her heart gave out. She died of fright," he reported.

"Doctor? Wonder?" Martha called.

"What did you see?" I asked as the Doctor and I ran over to her.

"A witch."

A couple of men came and took Dolly's body away. The Doctor sat in a chair in front of Shakespeare's desk, placing his head in his hands. I sat next to him, my arms crossed and Martha sat on the other side of the Doctor. "Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey," Shakespeare sighed mournfully. "She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place. We all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit."

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light," the Doctor quoted.

"I might use that," Shakespeare commented.

"You can't. It's someone else's," I told him.

"But the thing is, Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright and they were both connected to you," Martha pointed out.

"You're accusing me?" Shakespeare asked, offended.

"No, but I saw a witch, big as you like, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches," Martha told him.

Shakespeare blinked. "I have? When was that?"

"Not, not quite yet," the Doctor told Martha quietly.

"Peter Streete spoke of witches," Shakespeare added.

"Who's Peter Streete?" Martha asked.

"Our builder. He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect. Hold on. The architect! The architect!" The Doctor exclaimed, slamming his hand on the table, causing me to jump. "The Globe! Come on!" He grabbed my hand and dashed off, dragging me with him. Martha and Shakespeare followed behind.

We arrived in the Globe theater. I sat on the stage, my legs swinging. Martha and Shakespeare stood behind me, watching the Doctor pace about the pit where some of the audience stood. "The columns there, right? 14 sides. I've always wondered but I never asked... tell me, Will, why 14 sides?" The Doctor asked.

Shakespeare shrugged. "It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well."

"Why does that ring a bell? 14..." The Doctor wondered.

"There are 14 lines in a sonnet," Martha pointed out.

The Doctor nodded. "So there is. Good point. Words and shapes following the same design.14 lines, 14 sides, 14 facets...Oh, my head. Tetradecagon... think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!" He smacked the top of his head with each word causing me to chuckle.

"This is just a theatre," Shakespeare insisted.

"Oh, Shakespeare, you of all people should know better than that," I scolded lightly. "With the right combination of words and the right emphasis at the right time, you can make men weep, or cry with joy, change them. You can change people's minds just with words in this place."

"It's like you're police box. Small wooden box with all that power inside," Martha noted.

"Oh. Oh, Martha Jones, I like you," the Doctor told her, smiling. He turned back to Shakespeare. "Tell you what, though. Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?"

"You won't get an answer. A month after finishing this place... lost his mind," Shakespeare said.

"Why? What happened?" Martha inquired.

"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled."

"Where is he now?" I asked.

"Bedlam," the playwright replied.

"What's Bedlam?" Martha asked.

"Bethlem Hospital. The madhouse," Shakespeare explained.

"We're gonna go there," the Doctor stated. "Right now. Come on." I jumped off the stage and trotted after the Doctor as he headed out of the theater.

"Wait!" Shakespeare called, jogging after us. "I'm coming with you. I want to witness this at first hand!" He handed his finished script to two actors as they passed us. "Ralph, the last scene as promised. Copy it, hand it round. Learn it. Speak it. Back before curtain up. Remember, kid, project. Eyes and teeth. You never know; the Queen might turn up. As if. She never does." He jogged to catch up with us and fell into step beside Martha. "So, tell me of Freedonia, where women can be doctors, writers, actors."

"This country's ruled by a woman," Martha pointed out.

"Ah, she's royal. That's God's business," he dismissed. "Though you are a royal beauty."

"Whoa, Nelly!" Martha exclaimed, coming to a halt. The Doctor and I stopped and turned to wait. "I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country."

"But Martha, this is Town," Shakespeare protested, giving Martha a flirtatious smile.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and walked over. "Come on. We can all have a good flirt later."

"Is that a promise, Doctor?" Shakespeare asked, eyeing the Doctor flirtatiously.

"Oh, 57 academics just punched the air," the Doctor muttered.

I walked over and slipped my hand into the Doctor's. "Sorry, Shakespeare, but he's spoken for. Now come on."

When we arrived at Bedlam, a jailer led us through the halls. I pressed myself closer to the Doctor as loud screams and moans came from all over the jail. He wrapped a protective arm around my waist, drawing me to his side. "Does my lord, Doctor, wish some entertainment while he waits?" The jailed asked. "I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for ya. Bandog and Bedlam!" I glared at the man. He seemed far to happy to hurt the prisoners for our "pleasure".

"No, I don't!" The Doctor growled, glaring fiercely at the man.

The man gulped nervously. "Wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies," the jailer said, hurrying down the hall.

"So this is what you call a hospital, yeah?" Martha asked Shakespeare sharply. "Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry? And you put your friend in here?"

"Oh, and it's all so different in Freedonia," Shakespeare scoffed.

"But you're clever!" Martha protested. "Do you honestly think this place is any good?"

"I've been mad. I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose," Shakespeare replied curtly.

Martha tilted her head slightly. "Mad in what way?"

"You lost your son," the Doctor said softly, sending the playwright a sympathetic look. I squeezed his hand comfortingly. I had never had kids, but I had treated the Doctor's kids as my own. His wife was never very happy with the close relationship I had with the Doctor and their kids.

"My only boy. The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there," Shakespeare replied bitterly.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry," Martha apologized.

"It made me question everything. The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be... oh, that's quite good," Shakespeare commented thoughtfully.

"You should write that down," I told him.

"Hm, maybe not. A bit pretentious?" The playwright wondered.

"This way, m'lord!" The jailer called. We walked down to the cell he was standing and he unlocked the door. "They can be dangerous, m'lord. Don't know their own strength."

"I think it helps if you don't whip them! Now get out!" The Doctor snarled at the jailer. The jailer left quickly and the Doctor approached Peter. He was laying on a cot in the middle of the cell. "Peter? Peter Streete?" Peter didn't respond, staring straight ahead.

"He's the same as he was. You'll get nothing out of him," Shakespeare told him.

The Doctor laid a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Peter?" The man's head jerked up, staring at the Doctor with wild, glassy eyes.

I walked up to the Doctor and placed my hand on his shoulder. "Doctor, let me try." The Doctor looked at me for a moment then nodded and stepped back. I knelt in front on Peter and gently placed my fingers on his temples. I closed my eyes and concentrated as I entered the broken man's mind. Peter gasped and I opened my eyes. Peter was blinking, his eyes no longer glassy. I stood straight, smiling as Peter slowly sat up.

"What happened?" Peter asked, looking around at us in confusion. "What did you do to me?"

"I reversed the damaged that had been done to your mind," I told him. "You had some cowboys in there."

"Peter, can you tell us about the witches?" The Doctor asked.

"The witches spoke to me and told me to build the Globe to their design," Peter said. "They wanted 14 sides for some reason. When I was done they snapped my wits."

"Where did you see the witches?" I asked.

"All Hallows Street," Peter answered.

"Too many words," a voice spoke right next to me. I jumped and the Doctor quickly grabbed me and pushed me behind him.

"What the heck?" Martha exclaimed, staring at the old witch.

"Just one touch of the heart," the witch said reaching towards Peter.

"No!" I yelled. I darted out from behind the Doctor and quickly grabbed Peter by the arm, tugging him out of the witch's reach. I pushed Peter behind me and stood in front of him protectively, glaring dangerously at the witch.

"Witch! I'm seeing a witch!" Shakespeare exclaimed.

"Who would like to go first, hmm? Just one touch," the witch said. "Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals."

"Let us out! Let us out!" Martha screamed, shaking the bars of the cell.

"That's not gonna work. The whole building's shouting that," the Doctor told her.

"Who will die first, hmm?" The witch asked.

The Doctor shrugged, moving towards the witch. "Well, if you're looking for volunteers."

"No! Don't!" Martha shouted.

"Doctor, so help me, if she kills you..." I warned, still protecting Peter who was shaking behind me.

"Doctor, can you stop her?" Shakespeare asked.

"No mortal has power over me," the witch declared.

"Oh, but there's a power in words," the Doctor said. "If I can find the right one, if I can just know you..."

"None on Earth has knowledge of us."

"Then it's a good thing I'm here. Now think, think, think... Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy..." The Doctor mused.

"Doctor, the 14 sides. The 14 stars of the Rexel planetary configuration!" I told him, causing the witch to snarl.

The Doctor grinned. "Ah! Of course! Creature, I name you Carrionite!" The witch let out a wail and disappeared.

"What did you do?" Martha asked.

"I named her. The power of a name. That's old magic," the Doctor told her.

"But there's no such thing as magic."

"Well, it's just a different sort of science," the Doctor replied. "You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead."

"Use them for what?" Shakespeare asked.

"The end of the world," I declared solemnly.

We went back to Shakespeare's room, bringing Peter with us. Peter had been very quite since the witch incident so I had told him to take the Doctor, Martha, and I's room so he could rest. "The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe. Nobody was sure if they were real or legend," the Doctor explained.

"Well, I'm going for real," Shakespeare decided.

"But what do they want?" Martha asked.

"A new empire on Earth," I replied. "A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."

"But how?" Martha inquired.

"I'm looking at the man with the words," the Doctor said, gazing at Shakespeare.

Shakespeare blinked in surprise. "Me? But I've done nothing."

"Hold on, though. What were you doing last night, when that Carrionite was in the room?" Martha asked the playwright.

"Finishing the play," Shakespeare replied.

"What happens on the last page?" I asked.

"The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual, except those last few lines," Shakespeare said. He looked at the Doctor, his eyebrows furrowed. "Funny thing is... I don't actually remember writing them."

The Doctor's eyes widened in realization. "That's it. They used you. They gave you the final words. Like a spell, like a code. _Love's Labours Won_ , it's a weapon! The right combination of words, spoken at the right place with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing! And yes, you can have that," he added, making Shakespeare grin.

"We're going to need a map," I told Shakespeare. He nodded and pulled one from his desk. The Doctor and I began pouring over the map. "All Hallows Street. There it is," I said, pointing to the street on the map.

"Martha, you, Wonder, and I will track them down," the Doctor announced. "Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play!"

"I'll do it," Shakespeare assured him, shaking his hand enthusiastically. "All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you and your wife, I know nothing."

"Oh, don't complain," Martha told Shakespeare.

"I'm not. It's marvelous," Shakespeare replied with a grin. "Good luck, Doctor, Wonder."

"Good luck, Shakespeare," I told him as the Doctor, Martha, and I headed for the door.

"Once more unto the breach!" The Doctor declared.

"I like that," Shakespeare said. "Wait a minute... that's one of mine."

The Doctor poked his head back around the door. "Oh, just shift!"

"All Hallows Street, but which house?" The Doctor wondered as we walked down the street.

"The thing is, though... am I missing something here?" Martha asked. "The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at me, I'm living proof."

"Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux?" The Doctor mumbled.

"Think of it like _Back to the Future_ ," I told Martha.

"The film?" Martha asked.

"No, the novelisation," the Doctor replied sarcastically. "Yes, the film." I smacked his arm for being rude. "Marty McFly goes back and changes history," he continued, rubbing his arm.

"And he starts fading away," Martha added. He eyes then widened in realization. "Oh my gosh, am I gonna fade?"

"You and the entire future of the human race if we don't stop this," I said.

"But which house?" The Doctor wondered. A door to the house in front of us opened. "Ah, make that _witch_ house." I rolled my eyes at his joke. We walked in to find the young maid from the inn standing there. I knew I had a bad feeling about her. "I take it we're expected."

"Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time," the witch replied.

"Right then, it's my turn. I know how to do this," Martha told us, stepping forward and pointing her finger at the witch. "I name thee, Carrionite!" The Carrionite gasped then smirked, unaffected. "What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?" Martha asked the Doctor and I in confusion.

"The power of a name works only once. Observe." The Carrionite pointed her finger at Martha. "I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones." Martha's eye rolled up in her head and she collapsed. Thankfully, I managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

"What did you do to her?" I demanded angrily, gently lowering Martha to the floor.

"Only sleeping, alas. Curious, the name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time," the witch mused. "And as for you, Sir Doctor and Dame Wonder!" She pointed at us, expecting a reaction. The Doctor and I merely glared at her. "Fascinating. There is no name. Why would a man and woman hide their titles in such despair? Oh, but look. There's still one word with the power that aches."

"The naming won't work on us," the Doctor growled.

"But your heart grows cold. The north wind blows and carries down the distant... Rose," the Carrionite said, smirking.

The Doctor shot to his feet while I remained kneeling next to the unconscious Martha. "Oh, big mistake 'cos that name keeps us fighting!" He snarled, looming over the witch. I glared darkly at her. How dare she mention Rose's name. "The Carrionites vanished! Where did you go?"

"The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness," the Carrionite replied, seeming unfazed by either mine or the Doctor's fierce glare as she walked away.

"And how did you escape?"

"New words. New and glittering from a mind like no other," she said.

"Shakespeare," the Doctor realized.

"His son perished. The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance," the witch said.

"How many of you?" The Doctor asked.

"Just the three. But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence," she declared. "And from this world we will lead the universe back to the old ways of blood and magic."

"Hmm... busy schedule," the Doctor commented, rubbing the back of his neck and approaching the witch so he was face-to-face with her. "But first you gotta get past me."

"Oh, that should be a pleasure considering my enemy has such a handsome shape," she purred, running her finger across the Doctor's face seductively. I growled deep in my throat, glaring darkly at the witch.

"Now, that's one form of magic that's definitely not gonna work on me, at least not from you," the Doctor told her.

"Oh, we'll see." She backed away, smirking as she held a lock of the Doctor's hair.

"What did you do?" He asked in confusion, feeling his head.

"Souvenir," the witch replied with a satisfied smile.

"Well, give it back!" The Doctor demanded, rushing at her. The Windows behind her opened and she flew backwards, hovering just outside. "Well, that's just cheating."

"Behold, Doctor. Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets." She wrapped the piece of his hair around a doll she had pulled out.

I looked down when I noticed Martha stir. "Hey, are you alright?" I asked quietly. She nodded.

"Now, you might call that magic... I'd call that a DNA replication module," the Doctor told the witch.

"What use is your science now?" The witch asked. She stabbed the doll. The Doctor cried out in pain and collapsed to the floor while I clutched at my chest as I felt a sharp stab of pain in my chest. The witch flew off, cackling away.

"Oh my gosh! Doctor!" Martha shouted, getting to her feet and rushing over to the fallen Time Lord. "Don't worry, I've got you." She rolled him over and bent down to listen for a heartbeat as I came over, not too worried about him, though I was a bit miffed that he had let the Carrionite get so close to him. She sat up and smacked him. "Hold on, mister. Two hearts?"

"You're making a habit of this," the Doctor replied, smiling in amusement. He made to stand up but immediately collapsed again grabbing into Martha and I's shoulders for support. "Aahh! I've only got one heart working. How do you people cope?" He gasped.

"Well you shouldn't have let her get that close," I snapped at him. "Which one is it?"

"Left one," the Doctor groaned in reply.

I nodded. "Okay. Stay still so I can get it started again." I slammed my fist into the left side of his chest, causing him to groan again. "Now the back." He got down on all fours and I slammed my fist down into the left side of his back.

"Ahh, lovely," he said, cracking his back and getting to his feet. "There we go! Ba-da-boom! Well, what are you two standing there for? Come one! The Globe!" He ran out and Martha and I followed.

"We're going the wrong way!" I yelled to him as we ran down the street.

"No, we're not!" he replied. I stopped in the middle of the street, knowing he would come running back. Sure enough, he came dashing past me a few seconds later. "We're going the wrong way!" I rolled my eyes and ran after him.

We skidded to a halt when we saw a large red tornado of energy coming from the Globe. "I told thee so! I told thee!" The preacher we had passed bay when we first arrived shouted gleefully. I wasn't entirely sure why he was so happy that the world was about to end, but I couldn't worry about that.

"Stage door!" I said, running off.

We ran backstage to see Shakespeare reclining on a bench, nursing his head. "Stop the play! I think that was it," the Doctor told him irritably. "Yeah, I said, 'Stop the play'!"

"I hit my head," Shakespeare said.

The Doctor rolled his his eyes. "Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald." Someone suddenly screamed. "I think that's my cue!" He dashed to the stage and I grabbed Shakespeare's hand, dragging him with us. The wind whipped around us as the Carrionites flew around in their tornado. I spotted the three original Carrionites sitting in a theatre box. "Come on, Will! History needs you!" The Doctor said, shouting to be heard over the storm.

"But what can I do?" Shakespeare asked.

"Reverse it!"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it!" The Doctor told him.

"But what words? I have none ready!" Shakespeare protested.

"You're William Shakespeare!" I reminded him.

"But these Carrionite phrases, the need such precision!"

"Trust yourself," the Doctor encouraged. "When you're locked away in your room, the words just come, don't they? Like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm, words that last forever! That's what you do, Will! You choose perfect words. Do it. Improvise!"

Shakespeare nodded and stepped forward. "Close up this den of hateful, dire decay! Decomposition of your witches' plot! You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not! Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show! Between the points..." He paused and looked at the Doctor."

"7-6-1-3-9-0!" The Doctor supplied.

"7-6-1-3-9-0! And banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee..." Again, Shakespeare looked to the Doctor for help. The Doctor opened and closed his mouth helplessly and turned to me. I shrugged, unable to think of anything and turned to Martha.

"Expelliarmus!" Martha shouted after a moments hesitation.

"Expelliarmus!" The Doctor and I said together.

"Expelliarmus!" Shakespeare shouted.

"Good old JK!" The Doctor grinned. The Carrionites screeched as they were pulled back into their tornado along with the pages of the script. " _Love's Labours Won._ There it goes." The tornado dissipated and the wind calmed down again. The crowd sat in stunned silence before slowing beginning to clap.

"They think it was all special effects," Martha realized as the crowd applauded more enthusiastically then they had the night before.

"Your effect is special indeed," Shakespeare flirted.

"It's not your best line," Martha replied, causing me to chuckle. I followed the Doctor to the box the three witches had sat in. He reached down and picked up the crystal ball where all three of the witches were trapped and screaming.

Later, the Doctor and I were rooting through the props that were stored backstage. I tried on one of the capes and picked up a sword and struck a noble pose. The Doctor chuckled at me. He reached over and tried on one of the female wigs. "What do you think?" He asked.

I looked up and burst out laughing. "You should keep that, it suits you," I joked, still giggling.

"Mmm, I don't think blond is really my color," he replied, pulling the wig off and tossing it aside. "It may have worked for my fifth and six regenerations, but not this one."

"Check this out," I said, holding up an animal skull. "Remind you of something?"

The Doctor cocked his head, considering the skull. "You know, it does."

"What have you got around your neck?" I asked him.

"It's a ruff collar. Figured I give it to Shakespeare," he explained.

"Well, come on. We need to go get Martha." We walked back onto the stage where Martha and Shakespeare were sitting.

"Good props store back there! I'm not sure about this though," the Doctor commented, looking at the animal skull. "Reminds me of a Sycorax."

"Sycorax. Nice word. I'll have that off you as well," Shakespeare said.

"I should be on 10%. How's your head?" The Doctor asked.

"Still aching."

"Here, I got you this." The Doctor removed the collar and placed it around Shakespeare's neck. "Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might wanna keep it. It suits you."

"What about the play?" Martha asked.

"Gone. Wonder and I looked all over, every single copy of _Love's Labours' Won_ went up in the sky," the Doctor explained.

"My lost masterpiece," Shakespeare sighed.

"You could write it up again," Martha suggested.

"Probably not the best idea, Will," I advised. "There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten."

"Oh, but I've got new ideas," Shakespeare assured us. "Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons. In memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet."

Martha blinked. "Hamnet?"

Shakespeare nodded. "That's him."

"Ham-net?"

"What's wrong with that?" Shakespeare asked.

"Anyway, time we were off," the Doctor interrupted. He held up the crystal ball with the screaming Carrionites. "I've got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot can scream for all eternity and I've gotta take Martha back to Freedonia."

"You mean travel on through time and space."

The Doctor blinked in surprise. "You what?"

"You and Wonder are from another world like the Carrionites and Martha is from the future," Shakespeare replied. "It's not hard to work out."

I shook my head in amazement. "You really are quite incredible, Will."

Shakespeare smiled at me and turned back to the Doctor. "We're alike in many ways, Doctor." He turned his attention back to Martha, taking her hands in his. "Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate..."

"Will! Will!" One of the actors shouted as he ran into the theatre. "You'll never believe it! She's here! She's turned up!"

"We're the talk of the town," a second actor said. "She heard about last night! She wants us to perform it again."

"Who?" Martha asked.

"Her Majesty! She's here!" The first actor announced. We looked up to the sound of trumpets as a well dressed woman and several guards strolled in.

"Queen Elizabeth I!" The Doctor said, grinning excitedly.

"Doctor!" The Queen growled. I blinked. How did she know the Doctor?

The Doctor's smile fell ad was replaced by a look of confusion. "What?"

"My sworn enemy!" I raised my eyebrows. What did he do this time?

"What?"

"Off with his head!" The Queen ordered.

"What?!"

"Never mind what, just run!" Martha shouted. "See you, Will! And thanks!"

"Look after Peter, Will" I shouted as we ran out of the theatre.

"Stop that pernicious Doctor!" The Queen ordered.

"Stop in the name of the Queen!" A soldier shouted at us as we ran.

"What have you done to upset her?!" Martha asked.

"How should I know? Haven't even met her yet. That's time travel for you!" The Doctor replied. "Still, can't wait to find out." He unlocked the door and Martha darted inside. "That's something to look forward to."

"As much fun as it is to contemplate what exactly you did to tick off another queen of England, I would rather not be impaled by an arrow," I told him, shoving him into the TARDIS and slamming the door shut just as an arrow thudded into the door. I grimaced. "Sexy's not going to be too happy about that.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Please review and let me know your thoughts. I could use the motivation. I haven't been getting many reviews lately. I don't know when the next chapter will be up as I'm going to be very busy during the day for a while. Anyway, till next time!  
**


	33. Gridlock

**Hello readers! Hope you guys are ready for summer break. I just wanted to let you guys know that I don't know how much I will be able to write for the next few weeks. I'm going off to university so I will be busy getting settled in to my apartment and I will have a few classes. However, I will do my best to write as much as can, but I just wanted to warn you guys that it may be awhile before the next update. I also wanted to thank those who have been reviewing, you know who you are. I really appreciate it guys. Anyways, on with the next chapter!**

* * *

Martha was sitting quietly on the captain's seat while the Doctor and I flipped a few levers on the TARDIS console as we tried to figure out where to go next. It hadn't taken me very long to convince the Doctor to take Martha on another trip. Then again, I'm not sure he was really listening to what I was saying. "Just one trip. 'S'what I said. One trip, in the TARDIS, and then home," the Doctor told Martha. "Although, I suppose we could, stretch the definition. Try one trip to the past, one trip to the future. How do you fancy that?"

"No complaints from me!" Martha replied, thrilled to be going on another trip.

"What would you say about going to a different planet?" I inquired, smiling excitedly.

"Can we go to yours?" Martha asked hopefully.

The Doctor and I's excitement ebbed away immediately. "Ahh, there's plenty of other places!" The Doctor dismissed, trying to keep up the air of excitement.

"Come on, though!" Martha protested. "I mean, Planet of the Time Lords, that's got to be worth a look! What's it like?"

"Beautiful," I replied simply, not wanting to talk about our home planet.

"Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?" Martha asked curiously.

The Doctor shrugged, focusing intently on the controls of the console. "Suppose it is."

"Great big temples and cathedrals!"

"Yeah." I fiddled absentmindedly with a lever, avoiding eye contact with the insistent companion.

"Lots of planets in the sky?" Martha pressed, completely oblivious to the Doctor and I's reluctance to talk about our home planet.

"The sky's a burnt orange, with the Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns," the Doctor said quietly.

"Beyond that, the mountains go on forever, slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow," I added, smiling sadly at the thought of Gallifrey.

Martha beamed, utterly enthralled in the Doctor and I's description of our planet. "Can we go there?"

"Naah!" The Doctor in false enthusiasm. "Where's the fun for Wonder and I? We don't want to go home! Instead..." I chuckled as he began to dance around the console as he put in coordinates. "This is much better. Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth! Second hope of mankind! Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New New York. Although, technically it's the fifteenth New York from the original, so it's New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. One of the most dazzling cities ever built." The Doctor threw on his trench coat and tossed me my leather jacket and led us out of the TARDIS and into the pouring rain.

"Oh, that's nice! Time Lord version of dazzling," Martha grumbled sarcastically, hurriedly zipping up her jacket.

"I will admit, we could have chosen a better time," I remarked, flipping up the collar of the jacket.

"Nah, bit of rain never hurt anyone," the Doctor said. "Come on, let's get under cover!" We darted down the junk-ridden street we had found ourselves on and under and awning.

"Well, it looks like the same old Earth to me. On a Wednesday afternoon," Martha commented bitterly.

"Hold on, hold on. Let's have a look," the Doctor said, going over to a screen on the wall and sonicing it. Static appeared on the screen and he banged on top of it.

"Why must you always get physical with machines?" I sighed in exasperation.

"Cause it works," he replied. As if on cue, the static disappeared and the face of a young woman appeared. The Doctor raised his eyebrows and gestured to the screen with a satisfied smirk. I just rolled my eyes and shook my head.

" **... and the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway,** " the woman announced. The image switched to one of New New York above ground, a shining silver city complete with flying cars. It looked just like it had when the Doctor and I had come here with Rose, back when I was still Elena.

"Oh, that's more like it!" The Doctor grinned. "That's the New we had last time. This must be the lower levels. Down in the base of the tower, some sort of under-city."

"You've brought me to the slums?" Martha asked. Although she had a smile on her face, it looked forced.

"Much more interesting! It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city."

"You'd enjoy a sewer," I pointed out with a giggle.

"That's me," the Doctor agreed. The rain finally seemed to have stopped. "Oh, the rain's stopping! Better and better!"

"When you say 'last time', was that you two and Rose?" Martha inquired.

"Yeah, it was," I replied. "Great trip despite the nurse-cat-nuns using home grown people to find cures for different diseases."

"You're taking me to the same planets that you took her?" I looked over at Martha, confused. She sounded a bit annoyed to me.

"What's wrong with that?" The Doctor asked, just as confused as I was.

"Nothing," Martha replied curtly. "Just... ever heard the word 'rebound'?" I stared after her as she pushed past us. I hadn't even thought that it would bother her to take her to the same places we took Rose. The Doctor and I glanced at each other before following Martha.

Suddenly, the top to a large nearby box opened and a man poked his head out. "Oh! You should have said. How long you been there? Happy! You want Happy!" The vendor said.

"Customers! Customers! We've got customers!" Another vendor announced enthusiastically.

"We're in business! Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read!"

"Happy, Happy, lovely happy Happy!"

"Anger! Buy some Anger!"

"Get some Mellow, makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long!"

"Younger, them. They'll rip you off. Do you want some happy?" I started getting dizzy with all the vendors yelling at us as they tried to sell their fares.

"No, thanks," the Doctor replied, frowning.

"Are they selling drugs?" Martha asked.

"I think they're selling moods," I corrected.

"Same thing, isn't it?" Martha said.

I shrugged. "More or less." I noticed a pale woman dressed in black clothes come into the alley and walk towards the stalls. The vendors immediately tried to get her to their stall.

"Come over here, yeah," called one vendor as the woman approached. "And what can I get you, my love?"

"I want to buy Forget," the woman said quietly.

"I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much you want forgetting?"

"It's my mother and father. They went on the motorway."

"Oh, that's so sweet." The vendor reached behind her and handed the woman a small circular token. "Try this. Forget Forty-three. That's two pence."

The Doctor quickly walked over to the pale woman before she could do anything. "Sorry, but, hold on a minute. What happened to your parents?"

"They drove off," she replied simply.

"Should you wait for them to come back?" I asked. "They might come back."

"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end. I've lost them," the woman told us mournfully.

"But they can't have gone far. You could find them," the Doctor insisted. The woman merely stared at us, pain and sadness clearly evident, then looked down with a sigh. "No, no, no, don't!" The Doctor shouted as she went to stick the patch on her neck, but it was too late. Her expression changes almost instantly and a serene smile came over her face.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" The woman asked sweetly, seeming blithely unaware of her surroundings.

"Your parents. Your mother and father. They're on the motorway," the Doctor reminded her.

"Are they? That's nice," the woman replied uncaringly. Martha gave the Doctor and I a disbelieving look. While the Doctor and I were disturbed, we weren't surprised. The patch did exactly what it said it was supposed to do, make her forget. "I'm sorry. I won't keep you." We watched the the woman leave with frowns on our faces.

"So that's the human race five billion years in the future. Off their heads on chemicals," Martha bit out in disgust. I sighed and shook my head. Just then, I got a bad feeling. I was just about to tell the Doctor that something didn't feel right when I heard Martha scream. The Doctor and I spun around to see a couple dragging Martha off, kicking and screaming. We moved forward to help, but stopped short when the woman pointed a gun at us.

"Martha!" I yelled, panicking as I watched helplessly as our companion was dragged away.

"I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry," the man apologized as he dragged Martha off. "We just need three, that's all."

"No, let her go! I'm warning you, let her go!" The Doctor screamed at them desperately. "Whatever you want, I can help. Both of us, we can help. But first you've got to let her go!"

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Sorry," the woman apologized as she followed her partner. The Doctor and I followed as close as we dared with a gun pointed at us. We tried pleading with them, but they just kept dragging Martha away, apologizing the whole time. I was too focused on trying to get Martha back, that I didn't stop to wonder why the couple kept apologizing. The couple disappeared with Martha and slammed a large door behind them. The Doctor slammed his shoulder into the door, hoping to open it. He bared his teeth in frustration when it didn't move and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. After getting the door open, we bolted after Martha and her kidnappers.

We rushed out onto a fire escape just in time to see a black car fly off. "Martha!" The Doctor screamed. I kicked the bars of the fire escape with a growl of frustration. The Doctor stormed off back the way we had come and I had to jog to keep up. He pounded his fist on the door of one of the now closed stalls. The vendor quickly flipped the door open and grinned when she saw us.

"Thought you'd come back! Do you want some happy Happy?" She asked cheerfully, leaning over the countertop.

"Those people, who were they? Where did they take her?" The Doctor demanded angrily, glaring fiercely at the vendor.

"They've taken her to the motorway," another vendor announced, flipping open his door.

"Looked like carjackers to me," the first vendor said.

"I'd give up now, darling. You won't see her again," yet another vendor told us.

"Don't you _dare_ say that," I growled at the vendor.

"Used to be thriving in this place," the first vendor remarked, nodding to the dreary street we stood in. "You couldn't move. But they all go to the motorway in the end."

The Doctor whirled around so he could address all the vendors at once. "He kept on saying three, we need three. What did he mean, three?"

"It's the car-sharing policy, to save fuel," the first vendor told him. "You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"This motorway, how do I get there?" The Doctor demanded.

"Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You can't miss it." The Doctor grabbed my hand and strode off in the direction the vendor had indicated. "Tell you what, how 'bout some happy Happy? Then you'll be smiling, my love!" She offered.

The Doctor stopped and turned back, glowering at all the vendors. "Word of advice, all of you. Cash up. Close down. And pack your bags."

The vendors furrowed her brows in confusion. "Why's that, then?"

"Because as soon as I've found her, alive and well...and I will find her, alive and well, then I'm coming back," the Doctor declared, baring his teeth slightly in anger. "And this street is closing. Tonight!" He grabbed my hand again and we strode off, determined to get our companion back.

We came to a door labeled 'Motorway Access'. The Doctor opened the door after unlocking it with his sonic. We stepped through onto a platform and immediately started coughing. The air was thick with exhaust from the thousands of cars, all hovering in the worst traffic jam in the universe. I started to feel nauseous as I coughed and hacked.

The door to the car directly in front of us opened and a man with goggles and a scarf wrapped around his head leaned out. "Hey! You daft little street struts! What are you doing, standing there?" He called in a strong Irish accent. "Either get out or get in! Come on!" The Doctor shoved me ahead of him and I jumped into the car, the Doctor close behind. "Did you ever see the like?" The man asked the dark-haired woman in the front seat. The Doctor and I stood in the car, coughing as we tried to rid the toxic air from our lungs.

"Here you go," the woman said, quickly handing the Doctor and I an oxygen mask, which we accepted gratefully. I slipped the mask over my mouth and nose and gulped in the clean air, doing my best not to throw up.

"Just standing there, breathing it in!" The man continued in disbelief. He pulled off his goggles, cap, and scarf, revealing that he was a cat. "There's this story says back in the old days, on Junction Forty-Seven, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet!"

"Oh, you're making it up," the woman accused lightly.

"A fifty-foot head!" The cat insisted, climbing into the driver's seat. "Just think of it. Imagine picking that nose."

The woman nudged him. "Stop it. That's disgusting."

"What? Did you never pick your nose?" I chuckled quietly, but quickly stopped as I started to feel nauseous again. The Doctor, having felt my queasiness through our bond, glanced at me in concern. I nodded and gave him a small smile, indicating that I was okay.

The woman suddenly sat up and smacked the cat. "Bran, we're moving!"

The cat nodded. "Right. I'm there. I'm on it." He pulled a lever on the console and we moved forward. After a couple of seconds, the cat drew the lever back again. "Twenty yards! We're having a good day," he grumbled. He and they woman both turned around to face us. "And who might you two be, sir? Very well-dressed for hitchhikers."

The Doctor removed his oxygen mask and handed it back to the woman. "Thanks. Sorry, I'm the Doctor and this is my wife Wonder," he greeted. I pulled off my own oxygen mask and nodded at the couple in greeting.

"Medical man! Ha-ha!" The cat said happily. "My name's Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie."

"Nice to meet you," Valerie greeted with a smile.

"And that's the rest of the family behind you." Brannigan gestured to a curtain behind the Doctor and I. I drew the curtain back curiously and gasped in delight when I spotted a basket of kittens. I reached down and gently picked up a black kitten.

"Hello," I greeted softly, stroking the kitten.

The Doctor reached out and scratched the kitten under the chin. "How old are they?"

"Just two months," Valerie replied.

"Poor little souls. They've never known the ground beneath their paws," Brannigan said. The Doctor and I gave him puzzled looks. "Children of the motorway," he explained.

"What, they were born in here?" The Doctor asked in surprise as I continued to stroke the now purring kitten.

"We couldn't stop," Valerie said. "We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we'd take a chance."

"You've been driving for two months?" I asked in shock, pausing in stroking the kitten.

"Do I look like a teenager?" Brannigan scoffed. "We've been driving for twelve years now."

The Doctor blinked in shock. "I'm sorry?"

Brannigan nodded. "Yeah! Started out as newlyweds! Feels like yesterday."

"Feels like twelve years to me," Valerie mumbled.

"Ahh, sweetheart, but you're still lovely." Brannigan tickled his wife and she giggled, their troubles forgotten just for a moment.

"Twelve years?!" The Doctor asked, still in shock. "How far did you come? Where did you start?"

"Battery Park. It's five miles back," Brannigan answered.

"You only travelled five miles in twelve years?" I asked incredulously.

"I think they're a bit slow," Brannigan commented to his wife.

"Where are you from?" Valerie inquired.

"Never mind that, we've got to get out," the Doctor said. "Our friend's in one of these cars. She was taken hostage. Wonder and I should get back to the TARDIS." He pulled the car door open revealing nothing but a cloud of smoke.

"You're too late for that. We've passed the lay-by," Brannigan told him. The Doctor coughed and closed the door again. "You two are passengers now, Sonny Jim!"

"When's the next lay-by?" I asked.

Brannigan thought for a moment. "Oh... six months?" The Doctor and I exchanged glances.

"How do I get in touch with the police?" The Doctor asked.

"That there," Brannigan said, pointing to a screen behind the Doctor.

The Doctor turned and used the sonic screwdriver and the insignia of the New New York Police Department appeared. I set the kitten down with its siblings and looked at the screen over the Doctor's shoulder. "I need to talk to the police," he said, speaking into a radio transmitter.

" **Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold** ," and electronic voice announced.

"But you're the police!" The Doctor protested.

" **Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold.** "

The Doctor scrambled to the front of the car again. "Is there anyone else?" He asked urgently. "I once met the Duke of Manhattan; is there any way of getting through to him?"

"Oh, now, ain't you lordly?" Brannigan scoffed.

"We have to find our friend," I insisted.

"You can't make outside calls. The motorway's completely enclosed," Valerie spoke up.

"What about the other cars?" The Doctor inquired.

Brannigan nodded. "Oh, we've got contact with them, yeah. Well, some of them, anyway. They've got to be on your friends list." He looked at a screen in front of him. "Now, let's see, who's nearby? Ahh! The Cassini sisters!" He picked up his transmitter. "Still your hearts, my handsome girls. It's Brannigan here."

" **Get off the line, Brannigan. You're a pest and a menace,** " an older sounding woman replied.

"Oh, come on, now, sisters. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?" Brannigan scolded lightly.

" **You know full well we're not sisters. We're married.** "

"Oooh, stop that modern talk! I'm an old-fashioned cat," Brannigan teased. "Now, I've got two hitchhikers here, call themselves the Doctor and Wonder."

The Doctor took the transmitter from the cat. "Hello. Sorry. I'm looking for someone called Martha Jones. She's been carjacked. She's inside one of these vehicles, but I don't know which one."

" **Wait a minute,** " another older woman replied. " **Could I ask, what entrance did they use?** "

"Where were we?" I asked Brannigan.

"Pharmacy Town," he answered.

"Pharmacy Town, about twenty minutes ago," the Doctor relayed.

" **Let's have a look,** " the second Cassini sister said. " **In the last half hour, fifty-three new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction.** "

"Anything more specific?" The Doctor asked impatiently.

" **All in good time,** " the Cassini sister told him calmly. " **Was she car-jacked by two people?** "

"Yes, she was, yeah."

" **There we are. Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane,** " the Cassini sister responded. " **That means they had three on board. And car number is four six five diamond six."**

"That's it!" The Doctor exclaimed as he and I grinned. Now we were getting somewhere. "So how do we find them?"

" **Ah. Now, there I'm afraid I can't help.** "

"Can you call them on the radio?" I asked Brannigan. "We've got their number. Diamond six."

Brannigan shook his head. "Not if they're designated fast lane. It's a different class."

" **You could try the police,** " the second Cassini sister suggested.

"They put me on hold," the Doctor replied.

" **You'll have to keep trying. There's no one else,** " the first Cassini sister said.

"Thank you," the Doctor told the Cassini sisters. He handed the transmitter back to Brannigan. "We've got to go to the fast lane. Take us down."

"Not a million years," Brannigan refused.

"You've got four passengers!" The Doctor protested.

"I'm still not going."

"You have to take us down. Please," I pleaded with the cat. "She lost and alone. She doesn't even belong on this planet."

"That's a no. And that's final," Valerie stated firmly. "I'm not risking the children down there."

The Doctor and I looked at her in confusion. "Why not? What's the risk?" The Doctor asked. "What happens down there?"

"We're not discussing it! The conversation is closed!" Valerie snapped. I stared at the couple. What was down in the fast lane that had them so scared?

"So we keep on driving," the Doctor said in exasperation.

Brannigan nodded. "Yes, we do."

"For how long?"

"'Till the journey's end," Brannigan replied curtly.

I reached over Brannigan's shoulder and grabbed the transmitter agin. "Mrs. Cassini, this is Wonder. Could you tell me how long have you been driving on the motorway?"

" **Oh, we were amongst the first. It's been twenty-three years now** ," the first Cassini sister answered.

"And in all that twenty-three years, have you ever seen a police car?" Brannigan and Valerie gave me uneasy looks, but I didn't care. Someone had to ask.

" **I'm not sure,** " the second Cassini sister replied, sounding uncomfortable.

"Take a good look at your notes," I urged her. "Any police sightings?"

" **Not as such** ," she answered after a moments hesitation.

"Any ambulances or rescue service? Anything official?"

" **I can't keep a note of everything,** " she protested.

"What if there's no one out there?" I suggested.

Brannigan snatched the transmitter away from me angrily. "Stop it. The Cassinis were doing you a favor."

"Someone's got to ask," the Doctor told him irritably. "'Cause you might not talk about it, but it's there. In your eyes." Brannigan looked at the Doctor and I, fear and uncertainty shinning in his eyes. "What if the traffic jam never stops?"

"There's a whole city above us," Brannigan pointed out, though he sounded more like he was trying to reassure himself rather than prove a point. "The mighty city-state of New New York. They wouldn't just leave us."

"In that case, where are they? Hmm?" The Doctor challenged. The cat didn't answer. "What if there's no help coming, not ever? What if there's nothing? Just the motorway, with the cars going round and round and round, never stopping? Forever?"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Valerie ordered, clearly upset.

The screen in the dash started up, showing the image of a young blonde woman. " **This is Sally Calypso, and it's that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation.** "

"You think you know us so well, Doctor. But we're not abandoned. Not while we have each other," Brannigan declared softly.

" **This is for all of you out there on the roads. We're so sorry. Drive safe,** " Sally Calypso said. The Doctor and I listened as the entire motorway began to sing.

On a hill, far away

Stood an old, rugged cross

The emblem of suffering and shame

And I love that old cross

Where the dearest and best

For a world of lost sinners was slain

So I'll cherish the old, rugged cross, rugged cross

Till my trophies at last I lay down, I lay down

I will cling to the old, rugged cross, rugged cross

And exchange it some day for a crown.

I sniffed and wiped away a few tears that had slipped down my cheeks. The Doctor wrapped and arm around my waist, pulling me close and pressing a comforting kiss to my head. We stayed like that for a moment before the Doctor straightened up, or as much as he could in the cramped space, and scrambled to the middle of the car. "If you won't take me, I'll go down on my own," he decided, crouching down and pulling out his sonic screwdriver.

"What do you think you're doing?" Brannigan demanded as he and Valerie watched the Doctor inspect the floor.

"Finding my own way. I usually do," the Doctor replied. He opened a small door in the floor.

" **Capsule open,** " an electronic voice announced.

"Here we go," the Doctor said. He took off his overcoat and passed it to me.

"What are you handing this to me for?" I asked.

"Cause you're staying here," he told me. "I could tell you were feeling sick again earlier."

"Because I had been breathing in that toxic air," I reminded him.

"It's not just that. You've been feeling sick quite a bit lately, don't think I haven't noticed," he added when I opened my mouth to protest. "You need to stay here so you can rest."

I huffed and crossed my arms. "I'm not staying here. I'm going to help you find Martha."

The Doctor sighed in exasperation. "Wonder, please, just stay here. Brannigan, look after her." He positioned himself to jump.

"But you can't jump!" Valerie protested.

"If it's any consolation, Valerie, right now, I'm having kittens," the Doctor replied.

"This Martha, she must mean an awful lot to you," Brannigan remarked.

"Hardly know her. I was too busy showing off," the Doctor told him. "And I lied to her. Couldn't help it, just lied."

' _You weren't the only one,_ ' I reminded him.

He looked back up at us. "Bye then!" He dropped down so he was hanging by his hands. I crouched next to the open hatch, watching him. He waited till a car drove underneath him and then let go, landing with a thud.

"He's completely insane!" Valerie gasped.

"That, and a bit magnificent!" Brannigan added with a smile.

I watched the Doctor as he pulled out his sonic again, coughing as he breathed in the toxic air. I clenched my hands in his overcoat I still held and made my decision. "Watch over this," I told Brannigan, shoving the coat into his arms. "Janis Joplin gave him that coat and he would be upset if anything happened to it."

"What're doing?" He asked in confusion.

I crouched next to the open hatch and prepared to drop down. "I'm going after him."

"But he told me to look after you," Brannigan protested.

"Yes, well, he was an idiot to think that I would let him go after our companion on his own," I retorted. "See ya later!" By the time I had dropped onto the car below, the Doctor had already slipped inside.

"What are you doing?" The Doctor demanded as I dropped into the car. "I told you to stay with Brannigan."

"How are you?" The owner of the car asked me.

"Like I said, I'm going to help you find Martha," I told the Doctor, ignoring the car owner. "Besides who knows what kind of trouble you could run into."

"All the more reason for you to stay behind," the Doctor pointed out.

"It's too late now, so let's just get a move on." The Doctor stared at me sternly and I stared right back, daring him to send me back. After a moment, he looked away and I did a mental victory dance.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" He growled in frustration as opened the hatch in the floor of the car.

I shrugged. "I can't let you get your way all the time." He huffed, but didn't say anything as he waited for a car to drive underneath. He dropped down and turned to catch me and I dropped after him. He quickly opened the next hatch as we both started coughing.

The next car had a couple of Asian girls. "Thank you for your cooperation. Your comments have been noted," he told the two very started girls.

I picked up two handkerchiefs, one blue and the other yellow. "Do you mind if we borrow these?" I tied the yellow one around my nose and mouth and passed the blue one to the Doctor.

"Not my color, but thank you very much," he said, tying the handkerchief around his own mouth and nose.

The Doctor and I continued to drop from car to car, startling each of the occupants. We finally got to the last layer and dropped into a car. "'Scuse me, is that legal?" The man whose car we had just dropped into demanded.

"Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol," the Doctor began but stopped as he started coughing.

"Have you got any water?" I asked through my own coughing fit. My throat was dry and sore from all the coughing and hacking the Doctor and I had both been doing on own way down.

"Certainly. Never let it be said I've lost my manners," the man said. He reached over a to a water cooler and filled two cone shaped plastic cups and handed them to the Doctor and I. We both drained the cups immediately.

"Is this the last layer?" The Doctor asked the man as I refilled my cup.

The man nodded. "Ah, we're right at the bottom. Nothing below us but the fast lane."

"Can we drive down?"

"I'd rather not."

"Why not?" I asked, curious about why everyone was scared of the fast lane.

"There are things down there that I would rather not discuss," the man replied.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "If you'll excuse me." He went over to the hatch in the floor and opened it.

"You can't jump. It's a thousand feet down!" The man protested.

"No, I just want to look," the Doctor assured him. I walked over to the Doctor and stared down into the thick, murky fog. I could see tiny dotted lights moving and could hear a faint roaring.

"What's that noise?" I inquired.

"I try not to think about it," the man said nervously.

"What are those lights? What's down there?" The Doctor wondered. He coughed again, waving a hand in front of his face to sweep away the smoke. "I just need to see." He stood up and ran over to the screen in the front of the car and soniced it. "There must be some sort of ventilation. If I could just transmit a pulse through this thing, maybe I could trip the system, give us a bit of a breeze." He pulled the screen off and started messing with the wiring behind it. He snapped one of the wires and grinned. "That's it! Might shift the fumes a bit, give us a good look." He came back over to the open hatch and the man joined us.

"What are those shapes?" The man asked. Below, huge snapping claws appear in the fading smoke.

"They're alive," the Doctor realized.

"What the heck are they?" We watched as giant crabs became visible in the gloom.

"Macra," the Doctor and I said together.

"The Macra used to be the scourge of this galaxy," the Doctor began to explain. "Gas. They fed off gas, the filthier the better. They built up a small empire using humans as slaves and mining gas for food."

"They don't exactly look like empire-builders to me," the man remarked.

"Well, not anymore," I told him. "That was a long time ago."

"They must've devolved down the years and now they're just beasts," the Doctor mused. "But they're still hungry and our friend's down there." All three of us looked up at a clanking on the roof of the car.

"Oh, it's like New Times Square in here, for goodness's sake!" The man cried irritably.

"We've invented a sport!" The Doctor said gleefully as a person dropped into the car.

"Doctor, you and Elena were a hard couple to find," the cat that had just dropped in said. I blinked in confusion. Why did she call me Elena?

"No guns! I'm not having guns!" The man exclaimed, pointing to the gun the cat held

"I only brought this in case of pirates," she snapped at the man. "Doctor, you and Elena have got to come with me."

"Do we know you?" The Doctor asked, narrowing his eyes at the cat suspiciously. I tilted my head, watching the cat curiously. She seemed familiar, though I couldn't figure out where I had met her. Since she called me Elena, we must've met when I was still human. It also had to have been with this Doctor because she had recognized him right away.

"You two haven't aged at all," the cat remarked, smiling and lowering her head bashfully. "Time has been less kind to me."

Suddenly, it hit me where I had seen her before. "Novice Hame!" I exclaimed. I grinned and embraced her.

The Doctor grinned, but his smile quickly faded as he recalled the events of that adventure. "Hold on. Last time we met, you were breeding humans for experimentation." I blinked, I had nearly forgotten about that. Then again, I had had a human trampoline knocking about in my head at the time.

"I've sought forgiveness, Doctor, for so many years, under his guidance," Hame assured him. "And if you two come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself." I furrowed my brows. Whose guidance was she talking about?"

"We're not going anywhere," the Doctor declared and I nodded in agreement. "You've got Macra living underneath this city. Macra! And if our friend's still alive, she's stuck down there!"

"We're not leaving until our friend is safe and sound," I told Hame firmly.

"I'm sorry. But the situation is even worse than you can imagine," Hame said ominously. She grabbed the Doctor and I's wrists in one paw and pressed a button on a wristband she was wearing. "Transport."

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare!" The Doctor shouted, but it was too late. We disappeared in a flash of blue. We landed with a thud on the hard floor. "Oh! Rough teleport. Ow," the Doctor grunted as he slowly got to his feet. "You alright, Wonder?"

I groaned and rolled onto my side, fighting down the feeling of nausea brought on by the teleport. "I'm fine," I assured him, using a nearby ledge to pull myself up. The Doctor looked unconvinced my decided to leave the matter be.

"You can go straight back down and teleport people out, starting with Martha," he ordered, rounding on Hame.

"I only had the power for one trip," Hame informed him.

"Then get some more!" The Doctor yelled.

"Where are we?" I asked Hame, glancing around the large, messy room we had landed in.

"High above, in the over-city," she answered.

"Good! 'Cause you can tell the Senate of New New York I'd like a word," the Doctor growled. "They've got thousands of people trapped on the motorway! Millions!"

"But you're inside the Senate, right now. May the goddess Santori bless them," Hame said. I looked up and noticed long rows of seats in a vast chamber. I gasped when I saw that all of the seats had skeletons. "They died, Doctor. The city died."

"How long's it been like this?" The Doctor asked, a bit more subdued.

"Twenty-four years."

"All of them? Everyone?" He asked in shock, keeling next to a skeleton that was lying nearby.

"What happened?" I asked, greatly disturbed by the sight of the skeletons.

"A new chemical. A new mood," Hame answered. "They called it Bliss." She reached down and pulled a small, circular patch that said 'bliss' off a skeleton. "Everyone tried it. They couldn't stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished, even the virus, in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat. There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under-city. Those people on the motorway aren't lost, Doctor. They were saved."

"So the whole thing down there is running on automatic?" The Doctor inquired.

"There's not enough power to get them out," Hame said sadly and a tear slid down my cheek as I thought of all the people stuck on the motorway. "We did all we could to stop the system from choking."

"Who's "we"? How did you survive?" The Doctor asked her.

Hame smiled. "He protected me. And he has waited for both of you, these long years."

 _'Doctor. Elena._ ' I froze and my eyes widened at the familiar voice in my head. I turned and grinned when I saw a large head sitting in an equally large tank. I jogged over and kneeled in front of the glass.

' _Hello, Jack,_ ' I greeted the giant head softly, placing my hand on the glass. Somehow, I had managed to keep the memory of Jack being the Face of Boe. Maybe it was because I had met him before as Elena. After all, I was able to remember all the episodes I had already been through as Elena and how they were supposed to go versus how they actually went. The weird thing was, I knew Jack died back on Satellite Five and I knew he somehow came back and eventually becomes the Face of Boe, but for some reason I couldn't remember how. I figured it had something to do with the Bad Wolf. While I remembered most of what happened the time I had taken in the Time Vortex, there seemed to be a piece or two missing.

' _Hello, Els,_ ' he greeted back softly, speaking only to me.

"The Face of Boe!" The Doctor exclaimed as he and Hame came over.

' _I knew you would come_ ,' Boe said.

"Back in the old days, I was made his nurse, as penance for my sins," Hame explained.

The Doctor crouched next to me,placing his own hand on the glass. "Old friend, what happened to you?" He asked.

' _Failing_ ,' Boe replied.

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke," Hame told us. "But with no one to maintain it, the City's power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea."

"So he saved them," I stated, gazing sadly at the large head. ' _Oh, Jack..._ '

"The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe," Hame explained. "He's giving his life force just to keep things running."

"But there are planets out there. You could have called for help," the Doctor said.

Hame shook her head. "The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe. The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years."

"So the two of you stayed here, on your own, for all these years," the Doctor said, getting to his feet and staring at Boe in concern.

"We had no choice," Hame replied.

The Doctor reached out and touched her shoulder. "Yes, you did."

' _Save them, Doctor. Save them,_ ' Boe pleaded. I gazed sadly at the giant head. He sounded exhausted.

The Doctor looked back at Boe and nodded. He dashed over to a screen and slipped on his brainy specs. "Come on, Martha," he murmured, staring intently at the screen as he searched for the car Martha was in. "Where are you?" A moment later, a blip appeared on the screen. "Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, it still registers!" He declared excitedly. "That's Martha. I knew she was good. Novice Hame, hold that in place." He jumped back from the screen and handed Hame a piece of thick tubbing. "Think, think, think. Take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the electricity beds."

"There isn't enough power," Hame protested.

The Doctor dashed over to a wall with two more screen and lots of wiring and buttons. "Ah, you've got power!" He grinned. "You've got me! I'm brilliant with computers, just you watch. Wonder, every switch on that bank, up to maximum!" I nodded and hurried to obey.

"I can't power up the city, but all the city needs is people," the Doctor said, continuing his work.

"So what are you going to do?" Hame asked.

"This!" He flipped a switch on the floor and all the lights went out. He and I glanced around in panic. "No, no no no no, no!" He ran over and started sonicing a set of controls. "The transformers are blocked. The signal can't get through."

' _Doctor..._ ' Boe said.

"Yeah, hold on, not now," the Doctor dismissed, too focused on his task.

' _I give you my last..._ ' Boe let out a long, rasping breath, causing all the consoles to switch back on.

"Hame, Wonder, look after him!" The Doctor ordered. "Don't you go dying on me, you big old face. You've got to see this." He flicked the switch again. I ran over to help Hame as she busily turned a wheel next to Boe.

' _Hang in there, Jack_ ,' I urged him.

"The open road. Hah!" The Doctor shouted happily. He ran over to another screen and picked up a transmitter. "Sorry, no Sally Calypso, she was just a hologram. My name's the Doctor. And this is an order. Everyone drive up. Right now. I've opened the roof of the motorway. Come on. Throttle those engines. Drive up. All of you, the whole under-city. Drive up, drive up, drive up! Fast!We've got to clear that fast lane. Drive up and get out of the way," he announced. "Oy! Car Four Six Five Diamond Six! Martha! Drive up! You've got access above! Now go!"

" **Did I tell you, Doctor? You're not bad, sir. You're not bad at all!** " Brannigan laughed over the transmitter.

"You keep driving, Brannigan, all the way up! 'Cause it's here, just waiting for you," the Doctor told him, watching through a window as all the cars drove up into the city. I left Hame to tend to Boe and walked over to him. I slipped my hand into his, smiling as I watched the car zoom around. "The city of New New York. And it's yours. And don't forget, I want that coat back."

" **I reckon that's a fair bargain, sir,** " Brannigan replied.

"And Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, I've sent you a flight path. Come to the Senate," the Doctor said.

" **On my way!** " Martha replied cheerfully.

"It's been quite a while since I saw you, Martha Jones."

I looked back at the Boe and my eyes widened as I saw cracks in his glass case. "Doctor!" I screamed as I ran over to Boe. ' _No, no, no, no!_ ' The cracks continued to spread. The Doctor ran over and grabbed me, pulling out of the way just as the glass shattered. He gently set me back down and I carefully knelt in front of the giant head. The Doctor knelt beside me and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder as I stared at Boe worriedly.

"Doctor? Wonder?" I heard Martha call in concern.

"Over here," the Doctor called to her quietly.

"Doctor!" She ran over. "What happened out there?" She stopped and frowned when she found us kneeling in front of the Face of Boe. "What's that?"

"It's the Face of Boe," the Doctor told her. "It's all right. Come and say hello. And this is Hame. She's a cat. Don't worry." Martha slowly approached Boe. "He's the one that saved you, not me."

"My lord gave his life to save the city," Hame said solemnly. "And now he's dying." I reached out and placed my hand on Boe's cheek, blinking rapidly as I tried not to cry.

"No, don't say that. Not old Boe. Plenty of life left," the Doctor insisted.

' _It's good to breathe the air once more,_ ' Boe said softly.

"Who is he?" Martha inquired.

"I don't even know," the Doctor told her. "Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years. Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now."

' _Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most,_ ' Boe reminded him.

"Don't say that," I told, my voice cracking from the effort of trying not to cry. "You can't go." I reached out a hand and touched Boe's cheek. I couldn't loose another friend, especially not so soon after Rose.

"The legend says more," Hame said.

"Don't. There's no need for that," the Doctor insisted.

"It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to two travelers," Hame continued.

"Yeah, but not yet. Who needs secrets, eh?" The Doctor said quietly.

' _I have seen so much. Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you and Wonder are the last of yours, Doctor._ ' I blinked in confusion. So he knew I was a Time Lady now? Guess we must meet a younger Jack and tell him. I suppose that was something to look forward to.

"That's why we have to survive. All three of us. Don't go," the Doctor pleaded desperately, close to crying himself.

' _I must. But know this, Time Lord,_ ' Boe said. "You are not alone," he finished, speaking his last words instead of using telepathy. Boe closed his eyes as he breathed his last. I chocked out a sob, unable to hold it in any longer. The Doctor wrapped an arm around my shoulder and I turned and buried my head in his chest. I let the tears flow, clutching tightly to the Doctor's coat as I sobbed. He wrapped his arms tightly around me and laid his cheek on my head as we mourned. After a few minutes, I had calmed down slightly. The Doctor helped me stand, but kept an arm around my waist. He held out a hand for Martha and together we left, heading back to the TARDIS.

We walked back through Pharmacy Town where all the venders were now closed. "All closed down," the Doctor noted.

"Happy?" Martha asked.

"Happy happy," he replied, causing Martha to laugh softly and me to crack a smile. I was still very upset at the loss of Jack, but I had a feeling we would meet the younger version again soon and that cheered my up a bit. The Doctor inspected one of the closed vender stalls. "New New York can start again. And they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs, cats in charge! Come on, time we were off." He grabbed my hand and started to walk off.

"But what did he mean, the Face of Boe?" Martha inquired. We stopped and turned around to see Martha hadn't moved. "You're not alone."

"I don't know," the Doctor replied.

"You've got me. Is that what he meant?" She asked, smiling softy.

The Doctor shook his head, smiling apologetically. "I don't think so. Sorry."

"Then what?"

"Doesn't matter," the Doctor dismissed. "Back to the TARDIS, off we go." We turned and started off again. I heard her shifting around and turned my head to see she had plopped herself down in a chair and crossed her arm defiantly. I tugged on the Doctor's arm and nodded to Martha. "All right, you staying?" He asked her.

"Till you talk to me properly, yes," she snapped. "He said 'last of your kind.' What does that mean?"

"It really doesn't matter, Martha," I insisted, neither the Doctor or I wanting to talk about our past.

"You don't talk. You never say! Either of you! Why not?" Martha demanded. All around us, the sound of music could be heard. The voices of the city's inhabitants joined together in another hymn. We tilted our heads, listening. "It's the city. They're singing."

The Doctor and I glanced at each other, silently agreeing that we needed to confide in Martha. "We lied to you, 'cause we liked it," the Doctor admitted to Martha. "We could pretend. Just for a bit, we could imagine they were still alive, underneath a burnt orange sky." Martha stared at us sympathetically. "We're not just Time Lords. We're the last of the Time Lords. The Face of Boe was wrong. There's no one else."

"What happened?" Martha asked softly. The Doctor grabbed two more chairs and he and I sat down in front of her, preparing to recount our sad tale.

"There was a war," I told her, sighing heavily. "A Time War. The last Great Time War."

"Our people fought a race called the Daleks, for the sake of all creation," the Doctor continued. "And they lost. They lost. Everyone lost. They're all gone now. Our families, our friends, even that sky."

"Oh, you should have seen it, that old planet," I said wistfully. "The second sun would rise in the south, and the mountains would shine."

"The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire. When the autumn came, the breeze would blow through the branches like a song..." The Doctor and I continued to talk about our home planet while Martha listened, in awe of our description.

* * *

 **Well, what did you guys think? I would really appreciate reviews. Since it may be a while before the next chapter, if you guy want to know at any point about my progress with the next chapter, feel free to PM me and ask. As of right now, I haven't started writing it, but I'm pretty excited about the next two. Anyway, till next time!  
**


	34. Daleks in Manhattan

**Hello readers! I'm back with the next chapter! I was very excited to write this one, so I hope you guys like it. I could really use the reviews and motivation, so please let me know what you think. Anyway, you know the drill, I only own my oc.**

* * *

I stood in the Doctor and I's bedroom as I finished getting ready for our next adventure. After the fiasco in New New York, I convinced the Doctor to take Martha on another trip, preferable a place we hadn't taken Rose. I had just finished braiding my hair when I felt sick to my stomach. I quickly dashed into the bathroom adjoining the bedroom. Leaning over the toilet, I emptied the contents of my stomach. When I was done, I groaned and sat on the tiled floor, breathing heavily. I was getting real tired of this. I flushed the toilet and brushed my teeth to get rid of the bitter taste in my mouth. A few minutes later, I left the bedroom and started down the hall to the console room. "Hey, Wonder," Martha greeted with a smile as she came out of her room just ahead of me.

"Hey, Martha," I greeted back, giving her a small smile which probably looked more like a grimace.

Martha frowned at me. "You don't look so good. Are you okay?' She asked, looking me over in concern.

"I'm fine," I lied. Truth was, I was still feeling a bit queasy despite there being nothing left in my stomach.

"Don't lie to me," Martha scolded. "I'm a med student, remember? I can tell you're not fine."

"It's nothing, Martha, really," I insisted.

"Wonder, please tell me what's wrong," Martha pleaded. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

I sighed. "Fine," I conceded. "I've been feeling queasy a lot lately. Usually in the mornings, or what would be considered mornings on the TARDIS. I also occasionally feel queasy when we're on adventures. Like back on New New York, I felt sick to my stomach after breathing in all that smoke. My stomach just seems weaker than it used to be."

Martha furrowed her brows thoughtfully. "You and the Doctor are married, right?" She asked.

"Yeah. But what does that have to do with me being sick?" I asked, giving her a confused look.

"I don't know yet, maybe nothing," she replied. "Have you been feeling tired more?"

"Yeah...?"

"Have you been getting hungry more often?"

"Yeah, a bit, I guess," I answered. I was really confused now. "But I've been throwing up a lot so that's somewhat understandable."

"Maybe..." Martha said, thinking hard.

I looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"Just a hunch. When was your last period?" She asked. I blinked in surprise at this question. "Or do female Time Lords not have periods?" She added.

"It's Time _Lady_ , and yes, we do have periods. I believe my last one was about three months ago, though that's not uncommon for me, but I don't see wh-" I stopped mid sentence as I put the pieces together. "You don't think I'm...pregnant, do you?" I asked.

"It's possible," Martha admitted. "You and the Doctor are married and your symptoms seem to indicate that. We would need to do an ultrasound to be sure."

"There should be one in the med bay," I told her.

"We should go get the Doctor then."

"No," I told her. "Not yet."

Martha gave me a confused look. "Why not?"

"He's been a father before and he lost his family when our plane was destroyed," I confessed. "I don't want to get his hopes up, especially if it turns out I'm not pregnant."

Martha looked at me sympathetically before nodding. "Okay, we won't get him, but won't he come looking for us?"

"The TARDIS will keep him occupied," I assured her. "Won't you, sexy?" The TARDIS gave assuring hum. "Come on, med bay is this way."

"Sexy?" Martha questioned as she followed me back down the hall.

"Just what the Doctor and I call her," I said. "Just don't tell him I told you."

"You're secret's safe with me," Martha assured me with a laugh.

We arrived at the med bay and I started searching the room for the ultrasound machine. "Ah ha! Here it is," I declared pulling a small machine out of a drawer.

"That's an ultrasound?" Martha asked, eyeing the object in my hand skeptically.

"Well, it's a bit different than the kind you are used to," I admitted. "This one is just a simple one. It tells you whether or not you're pregnant and how far along you are." I started rummaging through the drawer again. "There should be some directions in here somewhere." I pulled out a small booklet and handed it to Martha. "There ya go. Everything you need to know should be in there." The med student nodded and took the booklet and ultrasound machine from me. I jumped up onto one of the beds lining the walls, swinging my legs and humming quietly as I waited for Martha.

"Okay, I think I've got it," Martha announced a couple minutes later. She walked over to me and set the machine down beside me. She picked up a small wand like attachment. "Just hold still." I nodded and she waved the wand over my abdomen. The machine beeped, signaling it had the information it need to do its calculations. As Martha watched the small screen, I couldn't help but feel both excited and worried. It would be amazing to know I was going to have a baby and not only that, the Doctor's baby, but I was also worried about bringing a child into our lifestyle. We frequently wound up in life or death situations in our travels and I wasn't sure I wanted to raise a child in that kind of environment.

I looked up from my thoughts as the matching beeped again, announcing it had the results. "Well?" I asked. "What does it say?"

Martha looked up from the machine. "Wonder, I have to tell you..." She began, looking solemn. My hearts dropped into my stomach. What on earth could the ultrasound have said to make her have that face? Suddenly, she let out an excited squeal. "Congratulations! You're going to be a mother!" She announced, beaming.

I blinked. "So I'm pregnant then?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!" I sat on the bed for a moment, processing the information. I was going to have a baby. I was going to have a baby. I was going to have a baby! I squealed in delight and jumped off the bed and threw my arms around Martha. She hugged me back tightly as we laughed excitedly.

"How far along?" I inquired once we had calmed down a bit.

"Somewhere between three and four months," Martha answered.

I blinked in surprise. "How did I not notice before?"

"Well, you've been so focused on your upset stomach that you've ignored all the other signs," Martha said. "When are you going to tell the Doctor?"

"I'll tell him once we come back from this trip," I told her. "But speaking of the Doctor, we better get to the console room. He'll be getting pretty antsy by now." She nodded and we walked out of the med bay. "Now I get to look forward to nine months of swollen ankles, odd food cravings, and mood swings," I grumbled.

"Are you saying you have a twelve month gestation period?!" Martha asked in shock.

Yup," I replied, popping the 'p'. "Those extra three months are for the brain development."

Just as I had predicted, the Doctor was pacing around the console room, obviously raring to go. "You're going to wear a hole in the grating if you keep pacing like that, sweetie," I told him as Martha and I entered.

He stopped pacing and turned to us. "Where have you been?" He demanded. "It's been 20 minutes since I left you to finish getting ready."

"Oh, quit your whining, you big baby," I scolded lightly, walking over too give him a kiss. "It took a bit longer than expected to pick out an outfit. We can't all wear the same outfit every day."

"Why not? Works for me."

I smiled in amusement. "Yes, well, your a special case. Now, come on, let's get going." The Doctor obliged, dancing around the console as he set the coordinates. The TARDIS landed with a thud and we headed for the doors.

"Where are we?" Martha asked as she stepped out of the TARDIS.

"Ah, smell that Atlantic breeze," the Doctor said cheerfully. "Nice and cold. Lovely. Martha, have you met my friend?" All three of us looked up to see the Statue of Liberty.

"Is that...? Oh my gosh!" Martha gasped, staring in awe at the statue. "That's the Statue of Liberty!"

"Gateway to the New World. Give me you tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to break free..."

"Not bad, huh?" I said, grinning and looping my arm through the Doctor's. I could still hardly believe that I was pregnant with the Doctor's baby. I was practically buzzing with happiness and couldn't wait to tell him.

The Doctor glanced down at me curiously. "What's got you so happy?" He asked.

"Hmm?" I hummed questioningly. "I'm just excited to go on another adventure, that's all."

"I know you're always excited for another adventure, as am I, but this is different," the Doctor said. "You're more than just excited, you're happy, very happy, dare I say elated."

I blinked when I realized he must have felt my joy when I found out I was pregnant. I smiled at him. "I will tell you when we get back to the TARDIS," I promised.

"That's so brilliant," Martha said excitedly, not having heard the Doctor and I's conversation. "I've always wanted to go to New York. I mean the real New York, not the new, new, new, new, new..."

"Don't hurt yourself," I teased. We strolled to the edge of the island we had landed on. We had a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline.

"Well, there's the genuine article," the Doctor remarked. "So good, they named it twice. Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice. Now wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam."

I chuckled. "Still easier to say than New New New New New New New New New New New New..." I trailed off, trying to count on my fingers how many 'news' I had said. "How many was that?" The Doctor shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Ah, well. You get my point."

"I wonder what year it is 'cause look, the Empire State Building's not even finished yet," Martha commented, pointing to said building, which had scaffolding covering the top floors.

"Work in progress," I said as Martha walked over to a trash bin. "Since it's still got a couple floors to go, that would make the date somewhere around..." I trailed off as I tried to figure out what the year would be.

"November 1, 1930," Martha finished, coming back over with a newspaper.

"You're getting good at this," the Doctor complimented.

"Eighty years ago," Martha said in awe as the Doctor took the paper from her. I looked over his shoulder as the headline caught my eye. "It's funny 'cause you see all those old newsreels in black and white like it's so far away, but here we are. It's real. It's now." She laughed in delight and looked back at us. "Come on, you two. Where do we go first?"

"I think our detour just got longer," the Doctor said, showing Martha the headline.

"Hooverville Mystery Deepens," she read. "What's Hooverville?"

"Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the USA, came to power a year ago," the Doctor explained as we walked through Central Park. "Up till then New York was a boom town, the Roaring Twenties, and then..."

"The Wall Street Crash, yeah? When was that, 1929?" Martha asked.

I nodded. "Wiped out the whole economy in one night. Left thousands of people unemployed and nowhere to go. Ended up coming here to Central Park."

"What? They actually live in the park? In the middle of the city?" Martha asked in shock. We arrived at Hooverville which as just a large collection of quickly put together shacks and tents. Fire barrel were spread throughout and people huddled around them trying to get warm.

"Ordinary people. Lost their jobs," the Doctor said as we walked through Hooverville. "Couldn't pay the rent and they lost everything. There are places like this all over America. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go." Suddenly we overheard shouting and decided o go find out what was going on.

"You thievin' lowlife!" A man shouted, punching another man. A couple of people from the crowd that had gathered tried to restrain him. "Loaf!"

"I didn't touch it!" the other man shouted.

We saw another man come out of his tent and head towards the two fighting men. "Cut that out!" He ordered, but the two men ignored him. He stepped forward and shoved the two men apart. "Cut that out! Right now!"

"He stole my bread!" the first man accused, pointing at the man he had been fighting.

"That's enough!" The third man ordered. He looked at the second man. "Did you take it?"

"I don't know what happened. He just went crazy," the second man growled. The first man lunged at the second man, but was held back.

"That's enough!" The third man approached the second man, staring at him sternly. "Now think real careful before you lie to me."

"I'm starvin', Solomon," the second man pleaded.

Solomon held out his hand and the second man begrudgingly pulled a loaf of bread from his coat and handed it to him. "We're all starvin'. We all got families somewhere," Solomon reminded the two men. He broke the bread in half and handed each of the two man one. "No stealin' and no fightin'. You know the rules. Thirteen years ago I fought in the Great War. A lot of us did. And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together! No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got."

"Come on," the Doctor said to Martha and I. He walked over to Solomon. "I suppose that makes you the boss around here."

"And, uh, who might you be?" Solomon asked.

"He's the Doctor. She's Wonder and I'm Martha," Martha introduced.

"A doctor," Solomon scoffed. "Well, we got, uh, stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor. Neighborhood gets classier by the day." He walked over to one of the fire barrels and started warming his hands.

"How many people live here?" Martha asked.

"At any one time, hundreds," Solomon answered. "No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville. We are a truly equal society, black, white, all the same. All starving." He chuckled. "So you're welcome. The three of you. But tell me, Doctor, you're a man of learning, right? Explain this to me." He pointed to the Empire State Building which was visible over the tops of the trees. "That there's going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, and we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?" The Doctor didn't answer as Solomon sighed and walked off back to his tent.

"So... men are going missing," the Doctor remarked, holding up the newspaper he took from Martha earlier. "Is this true?"

Solomon took the newspaper and glanced at the headline. "It's true all right." He went into his tent and we moved too stand in the opening.

"What exactly does it mean by missing?" I inquired. "It's not like anyone is keeping a record of all the people who come and go."

"C'mon in," Solomon said, sitting down on his cot. "This is different."

"In what way?" Martha asked as we walked into the tent.

"Someone takes them," Solomon explained. "At night. We hear something. Someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone. Like they vanish into thin air."

"And you're sure someone's taking them?" the Doctor questioned.

"Doctor, when you got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got," Solomon pointed out. "Your knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, fire still burning."

"Have you been to the police?" Martha asked.

"Yeah, we tried that. Another deadbeat goes missing, big deal," Solomon replied bitterly.

"So, the question is, who's taking them and what for?" The Doctor mused.

Just then, a young man in his late teens to early 20s poked his head into the tent. "Solomon, Mr. Diagoras is here," he announced.

We walked outside to see a man dressed in a black pinstriped suit talking to the people of Hooverville. ' _You look so much better in pinstriped suits than he does,_ ' I told the Doctor, causing him to smirk.

"I need men. Volunteers. I got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money," Mr. Diagoras announced.

"Yeah. What is the money?" the young man who had come into the tent asked.

"A dollar a day," Mr. Diagoras replied, causing the men to grumble.

"What's the work?" Solomon inquired.

"A little trip down the sewers," Mr. Diagoras answered. "Got a tunnel that collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?"

"A dollar a day? That's slave wage," Solomon scoffed, causing the men to murmur in agreement. "Men don't always come back up, do they?"

Mr. Diagoras shrugged. "Accidents happen."

"What do you mean? What sort of accidents?" the Doctor asked curiously.

"You don't need the work? That's fine. Anybody else?" I raised my hand. "Enough with the questions," Mr. Diagoras snapped.

"No more questions here," I assured him. "I'm volunteering." The Doctor raised his hand too.

"I'll kill you for this," Martha grumbled as she too raised her hand. Both Solomon and the young man raised their hands.

We were given lamps and flashlights as we headed down into the sewers. "Turn left. Go about half a mile. Follow Tunnel 273," Mr. Diagoras told us. "Fall's right ahead of you. You can't miss it."

"And when do we get our dollar?" the young man, who had introduced himself as Frank asked.

"When you come back up."

"And if we don't come back up?" the Doctor inquired.

"Then I got no one to pay," Mr. Diagoras replied, not seeming to care at all what happened to us.

"We'll be back," Solomon assured him

"Let's hope so," Martha muttered as we walked down the tunnel. "Do you think it was a good idea for you to come down here?" She whispered to me.

"I'll be alright," I assured her quietly, making sure the Doctor could've hear me. "I'm pregnant, not made of glass."

Frank walked up next to us. "We just gotta stick together," he said. "It's easy to get lost. It's like a huge rabbit warren. You could hide an army down here." I fell back to walk with the Doctor, slipping the hand that wasn't holding a flashlight into his free hand.

"So what about you, Frank?" Martha asked. "You're not from around these parts, are you?"

"Oh, you could talk," Frank replied with a smile. "No, no, I'm from Tennessee, born and bred."

"So how come you're here?"

"Uh, my daddy died. Mama... couldn't afford to feed us all. So, I'm the oldest, up to me to feed myself, so put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads," Frank explained. "There's a whole lot of runaways in camp younger than me. From all over; Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas... Solomon keeps a lookout for us. So, what about you? You're a long way from home."

"Yeah, I'm just a hitcher too," Martha replied.

"You stick with me, you'll be all right," he told her.

"So this Diagoras bloke, who is he then?" The Doctor inquired, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles absentmindedly.

"A couple of months ago, he was just another foreman. Now it seems like he's running most of Manhattan," Solomon said.

"How on earth did he managed that?" I asked.

"These are strange times," Solomon replied. "A man can go from being King of the Hill to the lowest of the low overnight. It's just for some folks it works the other way 'round."

"Whoa!" the Doctor suddenly exclaimed. On the ground in front of us was a glowing green blob.

"Is it radioactive or something?" Martha asked apprehensively. The Doctor let go of my hand and crouched beside the blob as it stopped glowing. "It's gone off, whatever it is." the Doctor slipped on his brainy specs and picked up the slimy blob.

"Why do you have to pick it up?" I groaned in disgust.

I held a hand to my mouth, fighting down nausea as the Doctor sniffed the blob. "Shine your torch through it," he told Martha. "Composite organic matter. Martha? Medical opinion?"

"It's not human. I know that," the med student replied. Solomon and Frank exchanged puzzled glances.

"No, it's not," the Doctor agreed, getting to his feet. "And I'll tell you something else. We must be at least half a mile in and I don't see any sign of a collapse, do you? So why did Mr Diagoras send us down here?""

"So where are we now? What's above us?" Martha asked.

"Well... we're right underneath Manhattan."

"We're way beyond half a mile," Solomon pointed out. "There's no collapse, nothing."

"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?" Martha asked.

"Looks like it," the Doctor remarked.

"No surprise there," I muttered. The man hadn't exactly seemed like the trustworthy type.

"So why did he want people to come down here?" Frank inquired.

"Solomon, I think it's time you took these three back," the Doctor said. "I'll be much quicker on my own." We all jumped as something further down the tunnel squealed.

"What the heck was that?" Solomon asked, eyes wide with fear.

"Hello?!" Frank called.

"Shh," Martha hushed.

"Frank," Solomon warned.

"What if it's one of the folk gone missing? You'd be scared, half-mad down here on your own," Frank retorted.

"Do you think they're still alive?" the Doctor asked him.

"Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here. Maybe they just got lost," Frank suggested.

I nodded. "Makes sense." I jumped again as we heard more squealing.

"I know I never heard nobody make a sound like that," Solomon said.

"Sounds like there's more than one of 'em," Frank added.

The Doctor cautiously walked a little ways ahead, trying to figure out from which direction the squeals were coming from. "This way," he said.

"No, that way," Solomon said, shining his flashlight down another tunnel. In the beam of his flashlight, we could see a figure huddled on the ground.

"Doctor..." Martha called quietly. The Doctor rejoined us.

"Who are you?" Solomon demanded.

"Are you lost? Can you understand me?" Frank asked the future gently. "I've been thinkin' about folk lost..." He started to walk forward, but the Doctor held out an arm to stop him.

"It's all right, Frank. Just stay back. Let me have a look," the Doctor told him quietly. He started to walk towards the figure. "He's got a point, though, my mate Frank. I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own. We know the way out. Daylight. If you want to come with us." He squatted next to the figure and shone his own light in its face. My eyes widened as I saw that the figure had the head of a pig. "Oh, but what are you?" The Doctor wondered.

"Is, uh, that some kind of carnival mask?" Solomon asked nervously.

"No, it's real," the Doctor said. "I'm sorry," he apologized to the pig man. "Now listen to me. I promise I can help. Now, who did this to you?"

I looked away from the pig man when I noticed shadows moving on the wall. "Doctor, I think you need to leave him alone and come back over here," I told him, eying the shadows nervously. More pig men came around the corner.

The Doctor quickly got to his feet. "Actually... good point." He started to back way from he pig men, but they just followed.

"They're following you," Martha pointed out.

"Yeah, I noticed that, thanks," the Doctor replied, not taking his gaze off the still advancing pig men. "Well then, Wonder, Martha, Frank, Solomon..."

"Run?" I suggested.

The Doctor nodded and grabbed my hand. "Yup!" We bolted back down the tunnel, the pig men in hot pursuit.

Martha skidded to a halt at a fork ahead of us. "Where are we going?!" She asked, panicking.

"This way!" The Doctor shouted, running down the right tunnel.

We ran past another side tunnel and I pulled the Doctor to a stop. "Ladder!" I yelled. The others came running back as the Doctor and I ran over to the ladder. The Doctor started up the ladder and used his sonic screwdriver on the lid blocking our escape. He climbed out and quickly turned to help Martha and I out.

"Frank!" I heard Solomon shout. The Doctor pulled Solomon out as he climbed the ladder than he and Solomon leaned back into the hole. "C'mon, Frank! C'mon!"

Frank started up the ladder and reached out for the Doctor's outstretched hand. "I've got ya. C'mo!" The Doctor urged. Martha and I stood off to the side, biting our nails worriedly. Unfortunately, the pig men grabbed Frank before the Doctor could get a good hold on him.

"Frank!" Solomon shouted.

"No!" The Doctor screamed.

Solomon shoved the Doctor aside and closed the lid as one of the pig men started up the ladder. "We can't go after him," he said.

"We gotta go back down! We can't just leave him!" The Doctor protested.

"No, I'm not losing anybody else!" Solomon shouted back. "Those creatures were from Hell! From Hell itself! If we go after them, they'll take us all! There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry."

Suddenly, a young woman with blonde hair stepped out from behind a shelf. "All right then. Put 'em up," she ordered in a thick New York accent, pointing a gun at us." Martha slowly put her hands in the air. The woman cocked the gun when the rest of us didn't listen. "Hands in the air and no funny business." The Doctor, Solomon, and I obeyed. "Now tell me, you schmucks, what've you done with Laszlo?"

"Uh, who's Lazlo?" Martha asked.

"Into the dressing room and I'll explain," she said, gesturing with the gun in the direction she wanted us to go. "And don't you dare try anything." We all nodded and walked out of the room we had come up in and own a hall, keeping our hands raised defensively. "In here," she said, indicating a door with a star on it. She walked in and plopped herself down in a chair in front of a dressing table. "Laszlo's my boyfriend, or was my boyfriend until two weeks ago. No letter, no good-bye, no nothin'. And I'm not stupid," she insisted, waving the gun about. The Doctor placed himself in front of us, making sure to conceal me entirely. I wrapped my arms around my stomach protectively. "I know some guys are just pigs but not my Laszlo. I mean, what kinda guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses?"

"It might, might just help if you put that down," the Doctor told the blonde, gesturing to the gun.

Huh?" She asked, apparently having forgotten that he was holding a gun. "Oh, sure." She tossed the gun on a nearby chair, causing everyone to flinch. The woman giggled. "Oh, c'mon. It's not real. It's just a prop. It was either that or a spear." We all relaxed and I lowered my arms to my side.

"Do you know what happened to Laszlo?" I asked the woman, stepping out from behind the Doctor. "Did he leave a note that may indicate why he left?"

The woman shook her head with a sigh. "No. One minute he's there, the next, zip, vanished."

"Listen, ah, what's your name?" the Doctor asked.

"Tallulah," the woman answered.

The Doctor nodded. "Tallulah."

"3 Ls and an H."

"Right. Um, we can try to find Laszlo, but he's not the only one," the Doctor continued. "There are people disappearing every night."

"And there are creatures. Such creatures," Solomon said, clutching his coat tightly around himself as if that would protect him.

"Whaddaya mean 'creatures'?" Tallulah asked curiously.

"Listen, just trust me," the Doctor told her. "Everyone is in danger. I need to find out exactly what this is." He pulled the green blob we had found earlier out of his pocket, causing Tallulah to lean back in disgust. "Because then I'll know exactly what we're fighting."

"Tell you what," I said. "Doctor, you and Solomon go and find the stuff out need to make a DNA scanner while Martha and I will stay here with Tallulah." He nodded and Solomon followed him out.

"I have to get ready for a performance, I hope you don't mind," Tallulah said.

"Not at all," Martha assured her. We waited for a couple minutes as Tallulah changed. Martha told me to sit down in an extra chair, saying I need to rest after the running we just did, but I told her I was fine. Unfortunately, she wasn't going to take no for an answer. She crossed her arms and started at me sternly until I finally gave in and sat down with a huff. When Tallulah was done she came and sat down at her dressing table and began to apply her makeup.

"So, tell us about Laszlo," I encouraged.

"Laszlo..." Tallulah sighed, a fond smile on her face. "He'd wait for me after the show, walk me home like I was a lady. He'd leave a flower for me on my dressing table. Every day, just a single rose."

"Haven't you reported him missing?" Martha asked.

"Sure. He's just a stagehand. Who cares? The management certainly don't," Tallulah said bitterly.

"Can't you kick up a fuss or something?"

"Okay, so then they fire me," Tallulah replied.

"But they'd listen to you. You're one of the stars," Martha insisted.

"Oh, honey, I got one stone in a back street revue and that's only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle; which had nothin' to do with me whatever anybody says," Tallulah said firmly. "I can't afford to make a fuss. If I don't make this month's rent, then before you know it, I'm in Hooverville."

"Okay, I get it," Martha said.

"It's the Depression, sweetie," Tallulah pointed out. "Your heart might break, but the show goes on and if it stops, you starve. Every night I have to go out there, sign, dance, keep goin'. Hoping he's gonna come back." I quickly leaned forward and wrapped my arms around her as she stated crying.

"It's going to be okay," I assured her, rubbing her back comfortingly.

Tallulah pulled away and wiped her eyes, smiling gratefully. "Hey, you're lucky, though," she said. "You got yourself a forward thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit."

I chuckled. "He is that," I agreed. "Hard to keep up with him sometimes, even for me. But you have to believe that Laszlo will come back. From what you told us, it sounds like he loves you and if I know anything about a guy in love, it's that they will do anything to for you."

"I live in hope everyday that he will come back," Tallulah said. "It's the only thing that's kept me going 'cause...look." She reached behind her and picked up a white rose from her dressing table. "On my dressing table every day still."

Martha gently took the rose. "You think it's Laszlo?"

Tallulah shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. If he's still around, why's he bein' all secret like he doesn't want me to see him?"

I sighed, giving the blonde a sympathetic look. "I don't know, Tallulah." I had a theory though. If Laszlo had been taken, perhaps he had been made into one of those pig men. Frank may have been on to something when he pointed out that we hadn't seen any bodies. Maybe someone or something was snatching people and turning them into pig men. But for what purpose? I shook my head from my thoughts and told Martha I was going to check on the Doctor and make sure he hadn't blown anything up yet. I found him in the balcony of the theatre. "How're things going?" I asked the Doctor as I approached. He had hooked the blob up to his hand-made scanner.

"I think I'm jut about done setting it up," he replied. He went over to one of the stage lights and positioned it so it was pointing at the blob. "That's it. Let's warm you up." He slipped on his glasses and leaned closer to examine it, his tongue sticking out a bit as he concentrated. "This is artificial," he noted. "Genetically engineered. Whoever this is, oh, you're clever." I watched him as he pulled out a stethoscope and moved it over the blob. "Fundamental DNA type 467-989. 989." He ran a had over his face. I tilted my head to the side. Why did that sound familiar?

"Wouldn't that mean that the planet of origin is..."I trailed off and my eyes widened. The Doctor and I looked at each other, identical looks of disbelief and horror on our faces.

"Skaro," we finished together.

"Martha!" I gasped. We rushed off, determined to ind our companion.

Rushes off.

We ran backstage where all the chorus girls had gathered. "Where is she? Where's Martha?" the Doctor demanded of Tallulah.

"I don't know," Talullah replied, looking rather spooked. "She ran off the stage." The Doctor and I snapped our heads around at the sound of Martha screaming. We bolted towards the props room, but by the time we got there she was gone. I frantically looked around, searching for any evidence that would indicate what had happened. I looked over to the manhole we had come up through and noticed the cover was off.

I quickly ran over and peered down the dark hole. "Martha!" I gasped. "Those pig things must have taken her." I glanced at the Doctor to see him set his jaw and grab his overcoat that he had tossed on one of the nearby shelves.

"Oh, where are you goin'?" Tallulah demanded as she hurried over.

"They've taken her," the Doctor told her.

"Who's taken her?" The Doctor ignored her as he started to climbed into the sewer. "What're y' doin'? I said, what the heck are ya doin'?" I quickly followed the Doctor into the sewer, hearing Tallulah grumble something.

"No, no, no, no, no way. You're not coming. It's too dangerous," the Doctor said as I climbed down the ladder.

I jumped the last rung and landed neatly on my feet, placing my hands on my hips. "You think you would have learned by now that there is no use telling me to stay behind when our companion is in danger," I told him. He opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by Tallulah as she climbed down the ladder, now wearing a long fur coat over her stage outfit.

"Tell me what's going on," she demanded.

"There's nothing you can do. Go back," the Doctor insisted.

"Look, whoever's taken Martha, they could've taken Laszlo, couldn't they?" Talullah asked.

The Doctor stared at her sternly. "Tallulah, you're not safe down here."

"Then that's my problem," Tallulah snapped in reply. "Come on. Which way?" She walked down the main tunnel an to the left.

I sent a the Doctor a smirk and he sighed in frustration, knowing he wasn't going to be able to get either one of us to go back. "This way." He walked down the main tunnel in the opposite direction Tallulah had gone. I smiled slightly in amusement as she jogged to catch up to the Doctor and I.

"When you say 'They've taken her', who's they exactly?" Tallulah asked. "And who are you two anyway? I never asked."

Suddenly, something caught my ears. "Shh," I said, signaling for silence.

"Okay. Okay," Tallulah replied, putting her hands of in defense.

"Shh, shh, shh," the Doctor repeated, listening intently. A shadow appeared on the far wall, an eerily familiar shadow.

"I mean you're handsome and all..." Tallulah continued, but was cut off as the Doctor put his hand over her mouth and dragged her back while simultaneously pushing me back into a recess. My eyes widened as a Dalek slowly made its way past our hiding place.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," the Doctor moaned in despair, letting go of Tallulah and walking out of our hiding place to watch the Dalek role out of sight. "They survived. They always survive while I lose everything." I walked up beside him and slipped my hand into his. If the Daleks were involved, it might not have been a good idea for me to come down here. I wanted to help the Doctor find Martha, but with a baby to protect now I would need to stop putting myself into unnecessary danger when the Doctor was perfectly capable of taking care of things.

"That metal thing? What was it?" Tallulah asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"It's called a Dalek," I told her.

"And it's not just metal, it's alive," the Doctor added, glaring after the Dalek.

"You're kidding me," Tallulah laughed.

"Does it look like we're kidding?" the Doctor growled, turning his glare on her. Tallulah's smile fell immediately. I placed my hand gently on his shoulder. I hated the Daleks as much as he did. They were the reason he had to destroy our home, but he didn't need to take that hate out on Tallulah. He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down. "Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn't a Dalek too. It won't stop until it's killed every human being alive."

Tallulah stared at him in confusion. "But if it's not a human being, that kinda implies it's from outer space." The Doctor gave her an unamused look. "Yet again, that's a no with the kidding. Boy... Well, what's it doin' here, in New York?"

"That's what we intend to find out," I told her.

"Every second you're down here, you're in danger," the Doctor said. "I'm taking you _both_ back right now." Before I could protest, we turned around and spotted another pig man. Tallulah screamed and the pig man started and scrambled to find a place to hide. "Where's Martha?" The Doctor demanded, approaching the pig man as he huddled by a wall, just out of the moonlight coming in from a grate above us. "What have you done with her? What have you done with Martha?"

"I didn't take her," the pig man replied, making sure to hide his face.

I blinked in surprise. None of the other pig men had said anything other than grunts. If this one could speak, maybe he had gotten away before they had managed to complete the process. "Can you remember your name?" I asked him softly.

"Don't look at me," the pig man said.

"Do you know where she is?" Tallulah asked hopefully, moving forward.

"Stay back! Don't look at me!" The pig man insisted.

"What happened to you?" the Doctor asked, walking closer to him.

The pig man turned his head and I could see that he appeared to be more man than pig. While his ears, nose, and teeth were piglike, his eyes were completely human. "They made me a monster," he said quietly.

"Who did?"

"The masters."

"The Daleks? Why?" I asked in confusion. Why would the Daleks be turning people into pigs?

"They needed slaves," the pig man answered. "They needed slaves to steal more people so they created us. Part animal, part human. I escaped before they got my mind, but it was still too late."

"Do you know what happened to Martha?" the Doctor asked him.

"They took her. It's my fault. She was following me."

"Were you in the theatre?" Tallulah asked.

The pig man nodded sadly. "Yes."

"Why? Why were you there?" Tallulah demanded.

"I never wanted you to see me like this," the man said. I blinked in confusion. Did he know her?

"Why me?" Tallulah asked, her voice rising a bit. "What do I gotta do with this? Were you following me? Is that why you were there?"

The man turned to face Tallulah. "Yes."

"Who are you?" She asked, slowly walking forward.

"I was lonely."

"Who are you?" Tallulah repeated.

"I needed to see you."

"Who are you?"

"I'm sorry," the pig man apologized. He turned to walk away.

"No, wait," Tallulah said, grabbing his arm. "Let me look at you." She moved him so he was standing under the moonlight. "Laszlo? My Laszlo?" She asked, her voice breaking. "Oh, what have they done to you?"

"I'm sorry. So sorry," Laszlo apologized quietly.

"Laszlo, can you show me where they are?" the Doctor asked.

"They'll kill you," Laszlo warned.

"If I don't stop them, they'll kill everyone."

"Then follow me." Laszlo led us through the tunnels until we found a small group of people. I smiled in relief when I spotted Martha and Frank amount them.

"What're they doing? What's wrong? What's wrong?" I heard Frank whisper to Martha.

" **Silence. Silence,** " A Dalek demanded as it rolled around the corner. Laszlo quickly ducked out of sight.

"What the heck is that?" Martha whispered, staring at the Dalek.

" **You will form a line. Move.** " The group was pushed into a line by some pig men.

"Just do what it says, everyone, okay? Just obey," Martha shouted to everyone as the began to protest.

" **The female is wise. Obey!** " the Dalek ordered.

A second Dalek rolled around the corner. " **Report** ," it demanded.

" **These are strong specimens. They will help the Dalek cause** ," the first Dalek answered. " **What is the status of the Final Experiment?** "

" **The Dalekanium is in place** ," the second Dalek reported. " **The energy conductor is now complete.** "

" **Then I will extract prisoners for selection.** " The pig men grabbed a dark skinned man at one end of the line and held him still. The first Dalek extended his plunger towards the man's face. The man eyed the plunger extension apprehensively. " **Intelligence scan. Initiate. Reading brain waves. Low intelligence.** "

"You calling me stupid?" The man demanded, glaring at the Dalek.

" **This one will become a pig slave,** " The first Dalek declared.

"No, let go of me!" The man yelled as the two pig men holding him started to drag him away. "I'm not becoming one of them!"

The Dalek moved to the next person down the line. " **Intelligence scan. Initiate.** "

"They're divided into two groups: high intelligence and low intelligence," Laszlo explained quietly. "The low intelligence are taken to become pig slaves like me."

"Well, that's not fair," Tallulah protested, causing the Doctor to shush her. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "You're the smartest guy I ever dated."

"What happens to the others?" I asked apprehensively.

"They're taken to the laboratory," Laszlo answered.

"But why? What for?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know. The masters only call it the Final... Experiment." We turned back to see the Dalek was scanning Frank.

" **Superior intelligence** ," the Dalek announced. It turned to Martha, who nearly went cross eyed as the plunger came close to her face. " **Intelligence scan. Initiate. Superior intelligence. This one will become part of the Final Experiment.** "

"You can't just experiment on people! It's insane! It's inhuman!" Martha screamed at the Dalek, the pig men holding her back.

" **We are not human** ," the Dalek replied. " **Prisoners of high intelligence will be taken to the transgenic laboratory.** "

"Look out, they're moving!" the Doctor whispered, pulling me with him as he flattened himself against the wall.

Laszlo grabbed Tallulah and hurried down the tunnel. "Doctor. Doctor! Quickly!" He urged in a harsh whisper.

"I'm not going. I've got an idea. You go," the Doctor said. "And take Wonder with you."

"No," I told him firmly. "I'm going to help you rescue Martha. We've been through this already."

"That was before we knew Daleks were behind this," the Doctor replied.

"I don't care that it's Daleks."

"Well, I do," the Doctor retorted. "No!" He snapped when I went to protest. "I don't want to put you in unnecessary danger. I'm perfectly capable of rescuing Martha and on my own. So for once, you're going to listen to me and go back to Hooverville with Tallulah." He stared at me sternly, as if daring me to argue. I stared back at him, considering his words. He was right, he was capable of rescuing Martha, but that didn't stop me from wanting to help. After all, she was _our_ companion, not just his. However, now that I was carrying his child, I needed to learn to let him do things, not for my sake, but for our unborn child.

I closed my eyes briefly and sighed. "Fine," I conceded. I looked back at the Doctor, who seemed slightly surprised yet pleased that I had decided not to argue. "But you better come back with both Martha and Frank. And I want you all in one piece."

The Doctor smiled. "I think I can manage that." He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me in for a kiss. "Stay safe," he whispered as he pulled away.

"You too," I told him. I gave him another quick kiss before turning and walking back down the tunnel, grabbing Tallulah's hand as I passed. Laszlo hurried to catch up with the Doctor and they disappeared around the corner, following the Daleks and their prisoners. "Come on," I urged Tallulah. "Exist's this way."

We wandered through the tunnels as I tried to remember the way we had come. I was having a bit of trouble concentrating on getting out as I had started to feel queasy again. "You sure you know the way out?" Tallulah asked me.

"Yes, it's just a bit hard to remember. All the tunnels look alike," I told her. I placed a hand on my stomach as it gave a particularly nasty twinge.

"You alright?" Tallulah asked, looking at me in concern. I nodded, but didn't answer. I didn't trust myself not to throw up if I opened my mouth. "You sure? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine," I assured her. Unfortunately, my body chose that moment to betray me. I clamped a hand over my mouth as I quickly rushed a few feet down a side tunnel to empty the contents on my stomach, which turned out to be only a bit of stomach acid as I hadn't eaten anything since I threw up before we left the TARDIS. I placed a hand on the wall of the tunnel to steady myself as I dry heaved.

Tallulah came over and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. I nodded in thanks as I tried to catch my breath once I had finished. "Maybe you should rest for a moment," she suggested. I nodded in agreement. Crouching down, I rested my back against the tunnel wall, making sure not to touch the damp ground. "What brought that on?"

"It's just morning sickness," I told her.

Tallulah gasped in delight. "You're pregnant?!"

"Yeah, I am," I chuckled.

"How far along?"

"About three or four months, but the Doctor doesn't know yet."

"Why not?" Tallulah asked.

"Haven't found the right time yet," I said, standing up. "Come on, we need to get back to Hooverville."

We arrived back at Hooverville and Solomon came jogging over. "Wonder! Tallulah!"

I smiled, glad to see he had made it back safely. "Solomon," I greeted.

"Where's the Doctor?" He asked.

"Rescuing Martha and Frank."

"Frank's alive?!" Solomon asked in surprise.

I nodded. "Yeah. We also found out that Daleks are behind the kidnappings."

Solomon blinked in surprise. "Daleks? What's a Dalek?"

"They're these metal aliens," Tallulah piped up.

"Aliens? You mean from outer space?"

"Afraid so," I answered.

"What are they doing here?" Solomon asked.

I sighed. "I don't know, but it can't be good. Hopefully the Doctor should be back soon."

"Well, until then, you and Tallulah can rest in my tent," Solomon offered. "You look like you could use it." I nodded in thanks and headed for Solomon's tent. However, before I could get very far, I felt a flash of shock from the Doctor through our bond.

' _Doctor, what's going on?_ ' I asked worriedly. ' _Theta, what happened?!_ ' I asked more urgently.

' _It's the Daleks_ ,' he finally replied.

' _What about them?_ '

' _They-they've created a_ human _Dalek._ '

* * *

 **So, many of you if not all of you have guessed it, but now it has been confirmed. Wonder is pregnant! I'm very excited to write the next chapter when she will tell the Doctor. I have no idea how long it will take me to get the next chapter up. I'm taking a few summer classes, so those will probably take up a lot of my time. I will do my best to get it up as soon as possible. If any of you are ever wondering how far along I am on the next, please feel free to PM me. Till next time!  
**


	35. Evolution of the Daleks

**Hello readers! The next chapter is finally finished! Sorry it took so long. I had no free time the past six weeks. Hopefully the next semester will be less stressful. I will do my best to update as often as possible, but I don't know how often that will be. I really appreciate the reviews I've gotten and hope you will continue to provide feedback. I want to thank all those who have stayed with this story. It makes me feel good knowing people like my story. Anyway, on with the story.**

* * *

 _Previously:_

' _It's the Daleks_ ,' he finally replied.

' _What about them?_ '

' _They-they've created a_ human _Dalek._ '

* * *

' _A human Dalek? But how? And why?_ ' I asked.

' _I don't know, but I intend to find out_ ,' the Doctor replied. Our link went quiet as he did whatever he needed to do.

I headed for Solomon's tent where I could think in peace. Tallulah had decided to go find some food. I began to pace back and forth inside the tent. I had so many questions. Why were the Daleks kidnapping people? Why were they creating pig men? For what reason did they create a Dalek-human? That last question really had me puzzled. Daleks were against anything and everything that wasn't a Dalek. They were born to kill and to purge the universe of all that wasn't a Dalek. So why would they have merged with a being they so clearly despised? I sighed heavily. Hopefully, I would get the answers to my questions when the Doctor got back. I was shaken from my thoughts when I felt a spike of fear through the Doctor and I's bond.

' _Theta, what's going on?!_ ' I asked urgently, stopping in my pacing.

' _Not now, Aryia!_ ' He replied hurriedly. I started pacing again, waiting for the Doctor to tell me they were safe. After what seemed like forever, he finally answered. ' _I've got Martha and Frank, oh and everyone else._ '

My shoulders dropped as I sighed in utter relief. ' _Good. Now get back here._ '

' _On our way.'_

I walked outside of the tent to go find Solomon. "The Doctor is on his way back with Martha and Frank and some extras," I told him almost too excitedly.

"How do you know that?" Solomon asked me.

"I have my ways," I replied with a shrug. Solomon eyed at me skeptically, but nodded.

A short while later, a man came running over and alerted Solomon that a group of people was headed our way. I gleefully rushed in the direction the man had indicated. I grinned widely when I saw the Doctor walking towards Hooverville, Martha, Frank, and the rest of the people in the group from earlier in tow. I ran over and threw myself into the Doctor's arms. He staggered back slightly, but quickly regained his balance as he wrapped his arms tightly around me, burring his face in my hair. "Glad to see you in one piece," I told him.

"I told you I could manage," he reminded me.

I smiled. "Yes, you did." I let go of him and turned to Martha and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay?" I asked her.

Martha nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," she ansered in a somewhat strange voice; my hug was _very_ tight.

I turned and tugged Frank in a hug. "And, Frank, good to see you again," I said. He stiffened, surprised by my sudden embrace, but he relaxed and hugged me back.

"Frank!" Solomon called as he came running over.

Frank looked up as I let him go. "Solomon!" He called back, grinning and running over to meet the older man. The two embraced.

"Solomon, we need talk," the Doctor said.

"These Daleks, they sound like the stuff of nightmares," Solomon remarked after the Doctor had finished telling us what happened. "And they wanna breed?"

"They're splicing themselves into human bodies," the Doctor informed us darkly. "If I'm right, they've got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville. We've got to get everyone out."

"Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall. There's nowhere else to go," Solomon protested.

"I'm sorry, Solomon," the Doctor apologized. "You've got to scatter. Go anywhere. Down to the railroads, travel across state, just get out of New York."

"There's got to be a way to reason with these things," Solomon insisted desperately.

I shook my head. "Daleks can't be reasoned with, Solomon."

"There's not a chance," Martha agreed.

"You ain't seen 'em, boss," Frank added.

"Daleks are bad enough at anytime, but right now they're vulnerable and that makes them more dangerous than ever," the Doctor told Solomon.

Just then, a sentry that had been posted at the edge of Hooverville to watch for the Daleks came sprinting over. "They're coming! They're coming!" he shouted.

"A sentry. Must have seen something," Solomon said.

"They're here! I seen 'em! Monsters! They're monsters!"

"It's started," the Doctor said ominously.

"We're under attack! Everyone to arms!" Solomon shouted. Men ran all around, passing out guns and any other weapons they could find.

"Come back!" Solomon yelled after some men who started to run off. "We gotta stick together! It's not safe out there! Come back!"

"We need to get out of the park," Martha said as we saw pig men attack the people who ran off.

"We can't!" I realized, looking around. "They've surrounded us."

"Then we stand together," Solomon decided. "Gather 'round. Everybody come to me. You there, Jethro, Harry, Seamus, stay together. They can't take all of us." He turned to the conflict and started firing at the pig men that had surrounded us as the other men followed suit with a renewed sense of determination.

"If we can just hold them off till daylight," Martha said hopefully.

"Oh, Martha, they're just the foot soldiers," the Doctor corrected, looking at the sky. Everyone looked up.

"Oh, my gosh," Martha gasped. A Dalek could be seen flying towards us.

"What in this world..." Solomon said, staring at the Dalek in shock.

"It's the devil," the sentry declared. "A devil in the sky. God save us all. It's damnation."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" Frank announced. He fired at the Dalek, but the bullets didn't do any damage to the its casing.

The Doctor shoved Frank's riffle. "That's not gonna work."

"There's more than one of them," Martha whispered to us. Suddenly, a second Dalek flew by and began firing on Hooverville. The Doctor quickly placed himself in front of me protectively. I wrapped my arms around my stomach despite knowing what little protection I was giving my unborn child.

" **The humans will surrender** ," the first Dalek ordered.

"Leave them alone! They've done nothing to you!" the Doctor shouted. Solomon started to walk forward, but the Doctor grabbed his arm. "No, Solomon. Stay back."

Solomon ignored him. "I'm told that I'm addressin' the Daleks, is that right?" He asked the Dalek hovering in front of us. "From what I hear, you're outcasts, too."

"Solomon, please don't," I pleaded.

"Doctor, Wonder, this is my township, you will respect my authority," Solomon told us firmly. "Just let me try." He jerked his arm out of the Doctor's grasp and stepped forward. "Daleks... ain't we all the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin?" The Daleks didn't say anything as Solomon paused to set his rifle on the ground, making sure to hold up his hands defensively. "'Cause, see, I've just discovered this past day God's universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares me. Oh, yeah. Terrifies me. Right down to the bone. But it's got to give me hope... hope that maybe together we can make a better tomorrow. So I... I beg you now if you have any compassion in your hearts then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. Well... what do you say?" The Daleks focused more intently on him. My eyes widened in horror as I realized what was about to happen.

" **Exterminate!** " The second Dalek shouted. It shot a beam at Solomon, but I was already moving. I tackled Solomon to the ground and the beam hit right where he had been standing a just a second ago. The inhabitants of Hooverville screamed.

"Solomon!" Frank yelled, rushing over to make sure he was alright.

"Wonder!" The Doctor shouted. He ran over and helped me up, frantically looking me over for any signs of injury.

"They would've killed him," Martha gasped in horror. "They tried to shoot him on the spot." A wave of anger flowed over me and I looked up at the Doctor, knowing it was him.

"Daleks!" The Doctor snarled, glaring darkly at the Daleks. He moved forward, arms held out. "All right, so it's my turn! Then kill me! Kill me if it'll stop you attacking these people!"

" **I will be the destroyer of our greatest enemy,** " One of the Daleks declared.

"No!" I shouted in panic. I went to rush forward, but Martha reached out and grabbed me. "Let me go! I have to help him!" I shouted as Martha restrained me.

"I know you want to help him, but you have to think of the baby," Martha told me, causing me to freeze.

"Then do it! Do it! Just do it!" The Doctor demanded, beating his chest, ignorant of what Martha and I said. "Do it!" I struggled weakly in Martha's grip, my need to keep the Doctor safe colliding with my instinct to protect my unborn child.

" **Extermin-** " the Dalek began, but stopped mid sentence. " **I do not understand. It is the Doctor.** " I tilted my head in confusion. What was going on? It must be receiving orders, but why didn't it kill the Doctor. I certainly wasn't complaining though. " **The urge to kill is too strong.** " It was quiet for a moment. " **I... obey.** "

"What's going on?" The Doctor demanded.

" **You will follow** ," the Dalek ordered. My hearts stopped. He couldn't go with them, I didn't care if they had changed their minds.

"No! You can't go!" Martha protested before I could say anything.

"I've got to go," the Doctor insisted. "The Daleks just changed their minds. Daleks never change their minds."

"But what about us?"

The Doctor glanced around at all the people of Hooverville, who stood cowering from the Daleks. "One condition! If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here!" he decided. "Do you hear me?"

" **The humans will be spared,** " the Dalek agreed after a moment. I blinked in surprise and confusion. Did the Daleks just agree not to kill? " **Doctor... follow.** "

"Well, then I'm coming with you," I said firmly, moving toward him.

"No, Wonder, you have to stay here," the Doctor told me, walking up to me and placing his hands gently on my shoulder. He looked deep into my eyes. "Please, stay here. Help Martha look after the people." I stared up at him, at war with myself, trying to decide if I wanted to argue or not. Eventually, my instincts telling me to keep my unborn child safe won out. I nodded reluctantly and he smiled softly. He leaned down and kissed me and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss.

" **Physical interaction will cease!** " The Dalek ordered. " **The Doctor will follow!** "

The Doctor and I pulled apart and he went to follow the Daleks. He paused and turned around to Martha. "Oh, and can I just say, thank you very much," he told her, gripping her hand in both of his. He winked at her and sent me a furtive reassuring smile before following the Daleks. I stared after him, scared that this may be the last time I would see him.

I looked over at Martha and saw her looking at something in her hand. "What did he give you?" I asked.

"His psychic paper," Martha replied, a bit confused.

"He must have figured we would need it for something."

Martha sighed. "Come on, might as well start helping these people." She walked off towards Solomon's tent, Tallulah and I following.

I felt someone catch my arm and I turned to see Solomon. "That was a dangerous thing you did," he scolded me.

"You're one to talk," I retorted. "Even after all the things the Doctor told you about the Daleks, you still tried to reason with them."

"I had to try," Solomon insisted.

I smiled slightly. "That's what I love and hate about humans. You are so stubborn."

Solomon laughed softly. "Humans. So you and the Doctor really aren't human, huh?"

"Do we really stick out that much?" I asked.

Solomon chuckled. "A bit, maybe. You certainly don't blend in very well with that fancy talk of yours."

I smiled. "I'll keep that in mind. I better go help Martha." He nodded and I walked off.

I walked into the tent just as Tallulah came in with a bowl of hot water. "Here you go. I got some more on the boil," she told Martha who was bandaging a man's arm.

"Thanks," the med student told Tallulah. She turned her attention back to her patient. "You'll be all right. It's just a cut. Try and keep it clean." The man nodded and thanked her as he left. "Where were you?" She asked me as I sat down in the chair the man had vacated.

"Having a talk with Solomon," I answered.

"So what about us? What do we do now?" Tallulah asked, leaning against the tent.

"The Doctor gave me this. He must have had a reason," Martha said, pulling out the psychic paper.

"What's that for?"

"Psychic paper," I told her. "Tells people whatever you want it to say. Very useful for getting into places."

"But where?" Martha wondered. "He must want me to go somewhere but what am I supposed to do?"

"I think you mean what are _we_ supposed to do," I corrected.

"You're not coming with," Martha protested. "You're pregnant."

"I may be pregnant, but that doesn't mean I'm not perfectly capable of handling myself," I snapped. Martha glared at me, but I ignored it. "Now think, did the Daleks mention anything that might give us a clue as to what they're planning?"

Martha thought for a moment. "Uh, yeah. They said something about an energy conductor."

"What does that mean?" Tallulah asked.

"I don't know," Martha replied. "Maybe like a... lightening conductor or... Dalekanium!" she exclaimed in sudden realization.

"Oh," Tallulah said with a smile, then frowned as she realized she had no idea what Dalekanium was.

"They said the Dalekanium was in place," Martha continued.

"Did they say where?" I asked hopefully.

Martha shook her head. "No, but Frank might know." She darted out of the tent and Tallulah and I followed. "Frank?" Martha called as we spotted him talking to Solomon.

"Hm?" Frank hummed, turning his attention to us as Solomon wandered off.

"That Mr. Diagoras, he was like some sort of fixer, yeah? Get you jobs all over town?" Martha asked.

Frank nodded. "Yeah. He could find a profit anywhere."

"But where, though? What sort of things?" Martha pressed.

"You name it," Frank replied. "We're all so desperate for work, you just hoped Diagoras would pick you for something good. Building work. That pays the best."

"What sort of building work?" I asked.

"Mainly building that." Frank pointed to the Empire State Building.

I looked up at the still unfinished building. "Sounds like we need to get a look at their building plans." I grinned. "Anyone fancy a trip up the tallest building in the world?"

Martha rolled her eyes at me. "Let's go." The fours of us started making our way towards the heart of Manhattan.

"Think there's a 600th floor?" I asked. They all gave me a confused look. "Oh, right. That book doesn't come out till 2005," I mumbled sheepishly.

"I always wanted to go to the Empire State Building," Martha remarked as we rode up the elevator. "Never imagined it quite like this, though."

"Where are we headed anyway?" Frank asked.

"To the top where they're still building."

"How come those guys just let us through? How's that thing work?" Tallulah inquired, gesturing psychic paper I was holding. Martha had given it to me earlier since I knew how to use it.

"Psychic paper," I answered. "Shows them whatever I want them to think. According to this, we're two engineers, an architect, and an electrician." Frank took the paper from me and looked it over curiously. The elevator dinged an we stepped out onto an unfinished floor. I shivered slightly as the cold wind blew in.

"Look at this pace. Top of the world," Tallulah said in awe.

"Okay, now this looks good," Martha said as she spotted the building plans.

Frank and I walked over to join her. "Hey, look at the date," Frank noted, pointing to the date at the top of one of the pages. "These designs were issued today. They must've changed something last minute."

"Daleks must've changed one thing," I mused. I reached forward and flipped through a couple pages. "These ones are from before today, which means whatever they changed is on this top sheet but not on the other one."

"We need to check one against the other," Martha said. I nodded and helped her spread the sheets out.

"The height of this place! This is amazing!" Tallulah gasped, moving towards the open part of the wall.

"Careful, we're a hundred floors up. Don't go wandering off," Martha warned.

"I just wanna see," Tallulah insisted. She stopped and leaned against a nearby poll, staring in awe at the city spread out below us. "New York City. If aliens had to come to Earth, no wonder they came here."

Martha and I poured over the building plans, trying to figure out what was different. "I'll go and keep an eye out, make sure we're safe up here," Frank offered. "Don't want nobody buttin' in." He walked off and Tallulah came back over to help Martha and I.

"There's a heck of a storm movin' in," Tallulah commented.

"I wish we knew what we were looking for," Martha complained. "Do you have any idea, Wonder?"

"Well, you said the Daleks mentioned something about a lightening conductor. So, my guess that they must have added something to the lightening rod on the top of the building," I mused. Martha nodded and searched through the sheets of paper to find the plans for the top portion of the building.

"So tell me, where did you and him first hook up?" Tallulah asked me.

"Oh, the Doctor and I have known each other for a long time," I replied vaguely while scanning the two sheets in front of us for any differences. "Grew up together. We met Martha while on our travels."

"It was in a hospital, sort of," Martha added nearly as vaguely, smiling at the memory of our meeting.

"'Course, him bein' a doctor," Tallulah said.

"Actually, I'm a doctor," Martha corrected. "Well, kind of."

"You're a physician?" Tallulah asked in surprise. Martha nodded. "Really?"

"I was training. Still am, if I ever get back home," Martha said a bit forlornly.

"You could be doctors together," Tallulah suggested eagerly. "I have a feeling he will need all the help he can get when his baby is born," she added, smiling at me.

"Probably," I chuckled. "He's more of a scientist than a medical doctor anyway. Not that he doesn't know anything about medicine. He knows quite a bit, but you should hear him when he gets talking about one of his projects. He could ramble on for hours."

"He sounds like one of a kind," Tallulah remarked.

"You have know idea," I replied with a smile. "But we need to hurry up and find out what the Daleks added before he gets back."

"Wish I had your confidence," Tallulah said. "I really wish Laszlo were here. He always knew the right thing to say."

"Listen, if the Doctor's with Laszlo now, there's every chance that he could get him out," Martha told Taullulah.

"And then what?" Tallulah demanded. "Don't talk crazy. There's no future for me and him. Those Dalek things took that away. The one good thing I had in my life and they destroyed it." She got to her feet and walked off. I stared after her sadly. I could see how much she loved Laszlo. I really hoped there was some way, even slightly, to reverse what the Daleks had done to him.

"Gotcha! Look!" Martha suddenly exclaimed, causing me to jump. I turned back around to see she was pointing to a spot on the mast. Tallulah came back over. "There, on the mast. Those little lines? They're new. They've added something, see?"

"Added what?" Tallulah inquired.

"What else?" I said.

"Dalekanium!" We all finished together, triumphant grins on our faces.

"What's all the noise in here about?" Frank asked as he came back.

"We figured out what the Daleks added," I told him. "They added Dalekanium to the mast, question is, why?" We all looked around when we heard the elevator behind us ding. "Doctor!" I shouted, quickly getting to my feet and rushing over to said Time Lord as he and Laszlo stepped out.

"First floor, perfumery," The Doctor joked. I threw my arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around me tightly.

"I never thought I'd see you again," I heard Tallulah say as she rushed over to Laszlo.

"No stopping me," Laszlo replied with a devilish grin.

"We worked it out," Martha told the Doctor as he let me go and rushed over to the building plans. "We know what they've done. There's Dalekanium on the mast. And it's good to see you too, by the way," she finished with a grin.

"Oh, come here," the Doctor said, grinning proudly at Martha. He grabbed her in a big hug and twirled her around. He dropped her abruptly, however, when the elevator dinged and the doors closed. He ran over to try and it, but it was too late. "No, no, no. See, never waste time with a hug," he groaned, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and trying to summon the lift. "It's a deadlock seal. I can't stop it." He smacked the wall in frustration.

"Where's it going?" Martha asked.

"Right down to the Daleks," the Doctor replied. "And they're not going to leave us alone up here. What's the time?"

"11:15," Frank answered, glancing at a nearby clock.

"Six minutes to go. I've got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits," the Doctor announced.

"Gammon radiation? What the heck is that?" Tallulah asked. I ignored her as I led the Doctor to the unfinished portion with the scaffolding.

"Oh, that's high," the Doctor gasped as he looked out at the city below. "That's very... Blimey, that's high."

"Well, we've got to go even higher, so now's not the time to be developing a fear of heights," I told him. "There's three pieces of Dalekanium at the base of the mast and we've got to get it off before that gamma strike."

"That's not 'we'. That's just me," the Doctor corrected.

I glared at him. "You can't just expect me to let you go up there on your own."

"You can and you will," he replied sternly. "You're gonna have your hands full, anyway. I'm sorry, Wonder, but you and Martha have got to fight."

I stared at him for a moment before sighing. "Fine, but make sure you come back in one piece."

"I promise," he replied with a soft smile. He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss. I watched worriedly as he began to climb the ladder to the mast. Once he was out of sight, I hurried back over to the others. They were rummaging around the room, looking for weapons. I grabbed a metal pole and we all took our places in front of the elevator.

"The lift's coming up," Martha announced as we watched the small arrow above the elevator doors that indicated what floor the elevator was on.

"I shoulda brought that gun," Frank growled in frustration.

"Tallulah, stay back. You too, Martha and Wonder," Laszlo ordered. "If they send pig slaves, they're trained to kill."

"The Doctor needs me to fight. I'm not going anywhere!" Martha snapped and I nodded in agreement. "Wonder, you need to stay back though," she added.

"I'm not going to leave you guys to deal with them on your own," I protested angrily.

"They're savages," Laszlo said. "I should know. They're trained to slit your throat with their bare teeth." He hefted the mallet he had found, ready to protect us. Suddenly, he collapsed to the floor.

"Laszlo? What is it?" Tallulah asked in concern.

"No, it's nothing. I'm fine," Laszlo insisted as he struggled to stand. "Just leave me." He fell back to the floor and leaned against a pillar, breathing heavily in a state of semi-consciousness.

Tallulah knelt beside him and put a hand to his forehead. "Oh, honey, you're burnin' up. What's wrong with you? Tell me."

"One man down and we ain't even started yet," Frank muttered.

"It's not looking good," Martha agreed.

"Nope." Outside, a storm was beginning to rage. I turned around to look and saw a flash of lightening streak across the sky.

"Wait a minute. Lightening," Martha murmured in realization.

"Martha?" I called in confusion as she ran to the open end of the room. I hurried over to her. "What are you doing?"

"Come on," she said, running around as starting to gather all the metal poles lying around. "We need to connect the lift to the mast."

I blinked in confusion. "I don't understand how-" I stopped mid sentence as I realized what she was doing. I grinned at her. "Oh, Martha Jones, you're a genius!" I began to help her.

"Frank, come over and help," Martha called. He gave her a confused look, but obeyed.

"Aw, you'll be all right, sweetheart. Don't you worry," Tallulah told Laszlo sweetly. She turned her head to us as we ran around, laying the metal poles end to end, using anything we could find to keep them off the floor. "What the heck are you three clowns doin'?" she snapped.

"This place is still going to get hit by lightning, even if the Doctor manages to get the Dalekanium off the mast," I told her. "If we connect the mast to the lift, all the pigs will get electrocuted."

"Oh my gosh, that could work," Tallulah exclaimed.

"Then give us a hand," Frank snapped. Tallulah quickly got to her feet and helped us get the last few poles connected.

"Is that gonna work?" Tallulah asked apprehensively as we finished.

"Oh, it will work," I assured her. "It has to."

"I've got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside," Frank announced as he jogged back into the room.

"Come here, Frank and sit in the middle and don't touch anything metal," Martha ordered. Frank crouched down and wrapped his arms around Martha and I. Tallulah and Laszlo scooted closer to us as we huddled together. We all watched the elevator as it continued to rise. The door dinged and opened, revealing a group of pig slaves. I pressed myself closer to Frank and prayed our plan would work.

' _I'm sorry about this, Aryia,_ ' the Doctor told me through our bond. I blinked in confusion, but didn't get to ask what he meant as a bolt of lightening struck the mast. Suddenly, my body erupted with pain. I clamped my eyes shut and curled in on myself, trying to get away from the sudden assault. Frank tightened his grip on Martha and I as the pig slaves writhed as they were electrocuted. Then, as soon as it had started, it stopped. Frank relaxed his grip as he slowly lifted his head. He, Martha, Tallulah, and Laszlo got to their feet and walked over to examine the now dead pig slaves. I didn't follow. My entire body was trembling and I was breathing heavily as I tried to recover.

"You did it, Martha," Tallualh congratulated.

Martha looked down at the bodies of the pig slaves sadly. "They used to be like Laszlo. They were people and I killed 'em."

"No, the Daleks killed them. Long ago," Laszlo corrected.

"What about the Doctor?" Martha said. She turned to run outside, but stopped when she saw me, still curled up on the floor. "Wonder? What's wrong?" She rushed over and knelt beside me. I didn't reply, but simply lay there as my body attempted to recover. "You didn't touch a piece of the metal, did you?" She asked in concern.

I shook my head as I slowly uncurled myself, the pain beginning ebb away. "No, but I think the Doctor did." I sat up with Martha's help. "I think he must have climbed onto the mast when it got struck."

"What?!" Martha exclaimed.

"What would he do that for?" Frank asked.

"He probably wasn't able to get the Dalekanium off in time," I mused. "Idiot probably dropped his sonic screwdriver." Feeling better, I got to my feet, swaying slightly before regaining my balance.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Martha asked me, looking at me as if I might collapse any second.

I nodded. "Yeah. Come on, let's go get him. He's rather quiet, so I think he must be unconscious." I headed to the open part of the room, but Martha stopped me.

"Uh uh," she said, moving to block my path. "You were just in a lot of pain and I'm not letting you climb up there while you're pregnant."

I smiled assuredly at her. "Martha-"

"No," Martha said firmly. I blinked and frowned, taken aback by her stern tone. "I'm putting my foot down on this one. The Doctor wouldn't want you climbing that ladder while you're pregnant with his child. You're staying here." With that, she made her way to the ladder and started to climb. Frank sent me an apologetic glance before following. I walked over to a chair and sat down with a huff, crossing my arms grumpily.

"She's right, you know," Tallulah told me as she knelt beside Laszlo who was once again slumped against the wall.

"I know," I sighed. "She usually is." Martha was right. I needed to worry about protecting my unborn child. Besides, the Doctor could take care of himself, usually.

"How far along?" Laszlo asked. I looked up at him. He was leaning against the pillar behind him as Tallulah stroked his head.

"About three months," I told him. "The Doctor doesn't know, though. Haven't been able to find the right time to tell him." Laszlo nodded, looking like he barely had the strength to do anything else. Just then, I felt the Doctor wake up and I breathed a sigh of relief. ' _Evening, sleepyhead. Have a nice nap?_ '

' _It was shockingly good_ ,' he replied jokingly.

' _I noticed. I would prefer a little bit more of a warning the next time you decide to hug a metal pole during a gamma strike_ ,' I told him, a bit annoyed.

' _Sorry about that_ ,' he apologized. ' _It was the only thing I could think of._ '

' _You dropped your sonic screwdriver, didn't you?_ '

' _...Maybe_ ,' he replied sheepishly.

I smirked slightly. ' _That's what I thought. Now hurry up and get down here so we can deal with the Daleks._ '

' _Already on my way,_ ' he responded. A few minutes later he, Martha, and Frank came back down the ladder.

I smiled and got to my feet, jogging over to great him. I jumped up, wrapping my arms around him and kissing him passionately. He responded immediately, wrapping his own arms around my waist and holding me so my feet dangled. "Don't do that again," I told him when we broke apart.

"No guarantees, but I'll do my best," The Doctor said, giving me another kiss. He set me down as Tallulah and Laszlo came over.

"So, what now?" Tallulah asked.

"The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing," the Doctor announced. "They'll be using the sewers, spreading their soldiers out underneath Manhattan."

"How do we stop them?" Laszlo inquired.

"There's only one chance. I got in the way. That gamma strike went zapping though me first," the Doctor explained. "Sorry again," he added to me.

"You did what you had to," I told him, patting his arm.

"But what does that mean?" Martha wondered.

"We need to draw fire," the Doctor explained. "Before they can attack New York, I need to face them." He ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up. "Think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space, somewhere safe, somewhere out of the way. Tallulah!" he exclaimed, turning to the blonde.

"That's me. Three L's and an H," Tallulah responded.

"The theatre! It's right above them, and, what, it's gone midnight? Can you get us inside?" the Doctor asked her.

Tallulah shrugged. "Don't see why not."

"Is there another lift?"

"We came up in the service elevator," I answered quickly.

"That'll do. Allons-y!"The Doctor grabbed my hand and ran off towards the lift, the others trailing behind. "This should do it. Here we go," he said as we ran into the darkened theatre. He climbed onto one of the chairs and switched on his sonic.

"There ain't nothin' more creepy than a theatre in the dark," Tallulah grumbled. "Listen, Doctor, I know you got a thing for showtunes, but there's a time and place, huh?" She looked down as Laszlo sat down heavily in a chair beside her. "Laszlo, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Laszlo dismissed, though judging by his heavy breathing, it was something. "It's just so hot."

"But... it's freezing in here," Tallulah said, frowning in confusion. "Doctor, what's happening to him?"

"Not now, Tallulah. Sorry," the Doctor dismissed as he messed with the sonic screwdriver frequency. I rolled my eyes at his rude behavior and walked over to check on Laszlo. I sat down on his other side and placed my hand on his forehead. He felt unusually hot, causing me to frown in concern.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked the Doctor.

"If the Daleks are going to war, they'll wanna find their number one enemy. I'm just telling them where I am," the Doctor explained. He held up his sonic and turned it on. "I'm telling you to go. Frank can take you and Wonder back to Hooverville."

"Wonder can go back, but I'm staying," Martha told him firmly.

I looked up from examining Laszlo. "I'm not leaving without you," I told him.

"Wonder, I can't let you be in the middle of this. You and Martha have to go," the Doctor insisted.

"Who are you, then? Some sort of Dalek?" Martha snapped. Suddenly, the doors to the theatre burst open and the human Daleks marched in. They surrounded us, their guns at the ready. The Doctor moved to stand in front of me, shielding me as much as possible.

"Oh, my gosh!" Tallulah gasped. "Well I guess that's them then, huh?"

"Humans... with Dalek DNA," Martha murmured.

Frank moved to attack, but the Doctor stopped him. "It's all right," he whispered. "Just stay calm. Don't antagonize them."

"But what about the Dalek masters? Where are they?" Laszlo wondered. Just then, the stage exploded, throwing wood and debris everywhere. The Doctor grabbed my shoulders and pushed me down behind the seats, throwing his body over me protectively. The other four quickly followed suit and ducked down. Once things settled out, we very slowly peaked our heads over the back of the seats. Two Daleks rolled forward with a human Dalek Sec chained between them and walking on all fours. The Doctor stood up and stared darkly at the Daleks.

" **The Doctor will stand before the Daleks** ," one of the Daleks demanded. The Doctor climbed over the chair in front of him and walked across the back of the chairs until he reached the front row. " **You will die, Doctor. It is the beginning of a new age.** "

" **Planet Earth will become New Skaro** ," the other Dalek declared.

"Oh, and what a world. With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt," the Doctor growled. "That's Dalek Sec." He gestured to the chained Dalek Sec. "Don't you remember? The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you've done to him. Is that your new empire? Hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilization?"

"My Daleks... just understand this. If you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose you," Dalek Sec declared ominously.

" **Incorrect. We will always survive,** " the first Dalek said.

" **Now we will destroy our greatest enemy, the Doctor** ," the second Dalek announced.

"No!" I whispered desperately, my hearts pounding in fear for my husband. Martha placed a hand on my shoulder, but it did little to comfort me.

"But he can help you," Dalek Sec insisted.

" **The Doctor must die** ," the first Dalek declared once more.

"No, I beg you, don't," Dalek Sec pleaded. He crawled in front of the first Dalek.

" **Exterminate!** " Dalek Sec stood just as the first Dalek fired. He screamed and collapsed, now nothing more than a piled corpse.

"Your own leader," the Doctor snarled, disgusted at the Daleks' brutality. "The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him." He turned to the human Daleks. "Do you see what they did? Huh? You see what a Dalek really is?" He turned back the the Daleks. "If I'm gonna die, let's give the new boys a shot. What do you think, eh? The human Daleks. Their first blood. Go on, baptize them." The Doctor held out his arms challengingly.

" **Dalek-Humans, take aim** ," the first Dalek ordered. I drew in a sharp breath as the Dalek-humans cocked their weapons and aimed at the Doctor.

"What are you waiting for? Give the command!" the Doctor snarled.

" **Exterminate!** " The second Dalek ordered. I gasped in horror and Martha wrapped her arms around me and Frank wrapped his arms around both of us. I closed my eyes, unable to watch. After a quiet moment I opened my eyes. " **Exterminate!** " The Dalek ordered again. Once again, nothing happened. I blinked. Had the Doctor's plan worked?

" **Obey** ," the first Dalek commanded. " **Dalek-Humans will obey.** "

"Not firing," Martha murmured in relief and confusion. She turned to the Doctor. "What have you done?"

" **You will obey. Exterminate,** " the first Dalek ordered again.

"Why?" one of the Dalek-humans asked.

" **Daleks do not question orders** ," the first Dalek declared.

"But why?" the Dalek-human repeated.

" **You will stop this.** "

"But... why?" the Dalek-human asked once again, sounding as confused as a toddler. I stared at the human Dalek before a smile slowly crept onto my face. The Doctor's plan must have worked. Daleks _never_ question orders.

" **You must not question** ," the first Dalek said.

"But you are not our master. And we... we are not Daleks," the Dalek-human replied.

"No, you're not, and you never will be," the Doctor told him. He turned to the Daleks, smirking smugly. "Sorry, I got in the way of the lightening strike. Time Lord DNA got all mixed up. Just that little bit of freedom."

" **If they will not obey, then they must die** ," the second Dalek declared. The Dalek shot the hybrid.

" **Get down!** " the Doctor yelled. We didn't need telling twice. We all ducked down as the hybrids and the Daleks began firing at each other.

" **Exterminate! Exterminate!** " the Daleks screeched.

" **Destroy the hybrids. Destroy** ," the second Dalek ordered. It screeched as its casing exploded.

" **Extermin-** " the first Dalek yelled before its casing exploded. The hybrids stopped firing. Frank, Martha, Tallulah, Laszlo, and I all stood.

The Doctor hurried over to one of the hybrids. "It's all right. It's all right. It's all right," he soothed. "You did it. You're free." I breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. Suddenly, all the hybrids gripped their heads and screamed in pain. "No!" the Doctor yelled in horror as the hybrids collapsed and writhed in pain around us. "They can't! They can't! They can't!"

Martha and I joined him as he knelt beside one of the bodies. "What happened? What was that?"

"They committed genocide rather than let them live in peace," I said sadly, tears welling in my eyes.

"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed," Laszlo noted. "One of the Dalek masters must still be alive."

"Oh, yes. In the whole universe, just one," the Doctor said darkly. He ran off to go confront the last Dalek. I sighed, hoping he would be able to stop the last Dalek in the universe. They have been around destroying lives for far too long.

"Laszlo!" Tallulah gasped. I spun around in time to see Laszlo collapse against Tallulah. Martha and I rushed over.

"Laszlo, what's wrong?" Martha asked.

"Can't breathe," Laszlo wheezed. Martha quickly checked his pulse and gave me a worried look.

"Come on," I decided, helping Laszlo to his feet. "We need to get him to the Doctor. Frank, go back to Hooverville and make sure everyone is okay." Frank nodded and ran off. With difficulty, Martha, Tallulah, and I managed to get Laszlo down to the basement.

"Doctor! Doctor! He's sick," Martha called as we staggered in. We carefully lowered Laszlo to the floor and Tallulah cradled him in her lap.

"It's okay. You'll be all right," I assured the wheezing Laszlo. The Doctor came over and knelt by him.

"It's his heart," Martha explained. "It's racing like mad. I've never seen anything like it."

"What is it, Doctor?" Tallulah asked, close to tears. "What's the matter with him? He says he can't breathe? What is it?"

"It's time, sweetheart," Laszlo told her.

"What do you mean 'time'? What are you talking about?" Tallulah asked in frantic confusion.

"None of the slaves... survive for long. Most of them only live a few weeks," Laszlo told her with difficulty. "I was lucky. I held on 'cause I had you. But now... I'm dyin', Tallulah."

"No you're not," Tallulah dismissed, a few tears sliding down her cheeks. "Not now, after all this. Doctor, can't you do somethin'?"

"Oh, Tallulah with three Ls and an H... just you watch me," the Doctor replied. He got to his feet and tossed his coat aside. "What do I need? Oh, I don't know. How about a great big genetic laboratory? Oh look, I've got one. Laszlo, just you hold on." He ran around the lab, mixing up a solution, talking all the while. "There's been too many deaths today. Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age-old enemies. And I'm tellin' you, I'm tellin' you right now, I am not having one more death! Got that? Not one! Tallulah, out of the way." He pulled a stethoscope out of his pocket and I grinned at him. "The Doctor is in."

It took a bit, but the the Doctor managed to reverse the damage the Daleks had done to Laszlo, with some help from me of course. Unfortunately, we couldn't reverse everything. We were currently waiting a bit outside Hooverville for Frank to get back from his talk with Solomon. Tallulah stood next to Laszlo who had on a heavy coat and a hat pulled down to cover his pig ears. We looked up as Frank approached. "Well, I talked to Solomon and he talked to 'em and I reckon he shamed one or two of 'em," he said.

"What did they say?" I asked.

Frank smiled. "They said yes." Tallulah and Laszlo breathed sighs of relief and hugged. "They'll give you a home, Laszlo. I mean, uh, don't imagine people ain't gonna stare. I can't promise you'll be at peace but, in the end, that is what Hooverville is for, people who ain't got nowhere else."

"Thank you. I... I can't thank you enough," Laszlo told him gratefully.

We said our goodbyes and wished Tallulah and Laszlo luck before heading back to the TARDIS. Back on Liberty Island, Martha, the Doctor, and I stood admiring the Manhattan skyline. "Do you reckon it's gonna work, those two?" Martha asked ponderously.

"I don't know," the Doctor admitted. "Anywhere else in the universe, I might worry about them, but New York, that's what this city's good at. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and maybe the odd pig-slave-Dalek-mutant-hybrid too."

"The pig and the showgirl," Martha laughed.

"The pig and the showgirl," I giggled in agreement.

"Just proves it, I suppose. There's someone for everyone," Martha said.

"Suppose there is," the Doctor replied, looking down at me with a soft smile. I smiled back at him and leaned my head against his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around my waist. We both turned to enter the TARDIS.

"I wanted to say... sorry," Martha spoke up.

We turned back around. "What for?" the Doctor asked, confused.

"Just 'cause that Dalek got away," Martha explained. "I know what that means to both of you. Think you'll ever see it again?"

The Doctor unwrapped his arm from around my waist so he could unlock the TARDIS. "Oh yes," he replied. Martha walked past us into the TARDIS. "One day." He closed the doors and walked up to the console and started up the engines, sending us into the Time Vortex.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm going to go shower then take a well deserved nap," Martha declared. She started down the hall towards her room, but turned around. "Oh and, Wonder, I believe you have something to tell the Doctor." Martha disappeared down the hall leaving the Doctor and I alone in the console room.

The Doctor turned to me with a confused look on his face. "What did she mean, you have something to tell me?" He asked. I gulped nervously. While I was exited to tell him that I was pregnant with his child, I was also worried as to what his reaction might be. He had had kids before, he had even been a grandfather and I was worried that my pregnancy would bring back painful memories. The Doctor noticed my unease and walked over to me, gently taking my hands in his. "What is it, Aryia? What did you want to tell me? He asked softly.

I looked up into his chocolate brown eyes and knew I had to tell him, no matter what insecurities I had. "Well, you should probably sit down first," I told him. I led him over to the captain's seat and sat down next to him, my hands still in his. "So, you know how I've been getting sick a lot lately?" He nodded, gazing at me with a curious frown. "Well, Martha and I figured out why."

His grip on my hands tightened slightly as his body tensed. "It wasn't anything bad, was it?" He asked cautiously.

I gave him an assuring smile. "No it wasn't, quite the opposite actually."

The Doctor sighed in relief and relaxed. "That's good." He paused, a thoughtful look on his face. "This doesn't have anything to do with that burst of happiness I got from you this morning is it?" He asked.

I blinked in surprise. I had completely forgotten to block our bond when Martha and I went to do the ultrasound. Oops. "It does," I admitted.

"Well, what is it?" He pressed, clearly eager to know what I've been waiting all day to tell him.

I took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

The Doctor stared at me, wide eyed. Clearly, he didn't expect that answer. "You're...pregnant?" He asked slowly, as if not sure he had heard me right.

"Yes," I confirmed. He continued to stare at me, causing me to start to shift uncomfortably under his gaze. Just as I began to worry about his reaction, however, a wide grin spread across his face.

He jumped to his feet and threw his arms around me, picking me up in a tight hug. "We're going to have a baby!" He shouted gleefully. I laughed as he spun me, relieved at his enthusiastic reaction. Then again, why did I expect anything else. Sure, he made have had kids before, but this was different. He and his wife had had kids with the loom whereas he and I are having a natural born child, something only bonded Time Lords can do. The Doctor stopped spinning me and set me down, but before I had a chance to catch my breath he kissed me passionately. I kept my arms wrapped around his neck as he pulled my flush against him, tangling his hands in my hair. I played with the hair at the nape of his neck, causing him to moan into the kiss. I squeaked slightly in surprise when he grabbed my thighs and lifted me onto the captain's seat. We broke apart, both of us breathing heavily. He leaned his forehead against mine and smiled at me lovingly. He removed one of his hands from my waist and laid it on my still flat stomach. "How far along?" He asked.

"About three months," I told him, laying my hand on top of his. "So, only nine more months until we get to hold our little boy or girl."

"I can't wait," he said softly. He leaned down and kissed me again, celebrating the new chapter in ours lives.

* * *

 **Wonder finally told the Doctor she's pregnant! Please review! Till next time!  
**


	36. Lazarus Experiment

**Hello readers! I finally finished the next chapter! I'm so sorry it took so long. School has kept me very busy. University is a lot harder than community college and it doesn't help that I'm taking 17 credits instead of my usual 13. Anyway, enough of my rambling and on with the story!**

* * *

A few hours after our last adventure in New York, Martha came back to the console room after her nap. We all stood around the console, Martha and I hanging on tight as the Doctor piloted the TARDIS, me flipping the odd switch every now and then to keep us on course. With a final jolt, the TARDIS landed. "There we go... perfect landing, which isn't easy in such a tight spot," the Doctor said proudly.

"You should be used to tight spots by now," Martha teased.

"He should be," I agreed. "He once landed the TARDIS in between two fences. He went to go out only to be greeted by a fence. And then he just waltzed back in, reparked her, and then strode back out like nothing happened."

"Sounds like something he would do," Martha laughed.

"You saying you could park better?" The Doctor challenged, putting his hands on his hips.

"Actually, I could," I retorted. "I did pass my flying test first try."

"You lived on a TARDIS farm! You had an unfair advantage," the Doctor accused.

"It was hardly an unfair advantage. You were over often enough," I reminded him.

"Yeah, but the TARDISes always liked you better," he pointed out.

"True," I agreed with a playful smile.

"Where are we?" Martha asked, interrupting our conversation.

"The end of the line," the Doctor answered. Martha rushed to the doors. "No place like it." Martha looked at us, silently asking if she should open the doors. The Doctor nodded and she went outside with a familiar excitement on her face.

"Home. You took me home?" Martha asked in confused disappointment.

"In fact, the morning after we left, so you've only been gone about 12 hours. No time at all, really."

"You sure it's only 12 hours this time and not 12 months?" I asked him, crossing my arms. I really didn't want to say goodbye to the med student yet. We had been without a companion for a while, probably longer than we should have. It had been nice having Martha around. Having her around also helped to keep the Doctor and I from lingering on Rose. Besides, Donna was right, we needed someone besides just each other.

"Yes, I made sure this time," the Doctor assured me.

"But all the stuff we've done: Shakespeare, New New York, old New York?" Martha inquired, looking at us sadly.

"Yep, all in one night, relatively speaking. Everything should be just as it was... Books, Cds..." He grimaced as he picked up a pair of Martha's underwear from a drying rack standing behind us. "Laundry." Martha snatched the underwear from him and I Gibbs slapped him. "So, back were you were, as promised," he continued, rubbing the back of his head.

"This is it?" Martha asked, giving us a longing look.

The Doctor inhaled deeply. "Yeah, we should probably... um..." He was cut off when Martha's phone rang.

" **Hi! I'm out! Leave a message!** " The answering machine said in Martha's voice as it picked up.

"I'm sorry," Martha apologized.

" **Martha, are you there? Pick it up, will you?** " A voice I recognized as Martha's mother sighed in exasperation.

"It's Mum. It'll wait," Martha dismissed. The Doctor nodded, glancing around a bit awkwardly. I raised an eyebrow slightly. Did she often not answer her phone? Did she just ignore her mother?

" **All right then, pretend that you're out if you like** ," Martha's mother said in an annoyed tone. " **I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested.** " Martha quickly grabbed the tv remote and switched the tv on.

" **The details are top secret...** " An elderly man, possibly late 70s, on the screen announced to the press standing in front of him. The words rolling by on the bottom of the screen identified him as Professor Lazarus. I spotted Martha's sister standing off to the side of the professor.

"How could Tish end up on the news?" Martha wondered out loud.

" **Tonight, I will demonstrate a device...** " Lazarus continued.

" **She's got a new job. PR for some research lab,** " Martha's mother added.

" **...with the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human,** " Lazarus finished grandly before Martha switched off the tv. I stared at the dark screen. What did he mean he was going to change what it means to be human? I glanced at the Doctor to see him staring at the screen intently.

"Sorry. You were saying we should...?" Martha trailed off awkwardly.

"Yes, yes, we should. One trip is what we said," the Doctor said quickly, breaking out of his trance.

"Yeah. I suppose things just kind of... escalated."

"Tends to happen to us a lot actually," I sighed.

Martha smiled at us sadly. "Thank you. For everything."

"It was our pleasure," the Doctor said, smiling back. He walked into the TARDIS.

I stopped in the doorway. "We'll be back in a moment," I told her, smiling. Martha blinked at me in confusion. I walked in and closed the door behind me. I sauntered up to the Doctor who was at the controls, working on piloting the TARDIS to our next destination. "I suppose you heard what that Professor Lazarus said? He was going to change what it means to be human." The Doctor looked up at me. "Come on, I know you want to investigate," I teased, giving him a knowing smile. He stared at me for a moment before grinning and sending us back to Martha's apartment.

The Doctor poked his head out the door. "No, I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?"

A while later, I stepped out of the TARDIS, now dressed in a floor length, deep purple dress. It had jewels in a floral pattern under the bust and covering the sheer fabric covering my shoulders. I had on a pair of black strap heels, which I would probably regret later. I had put my hair in half up, half down style. Martha stepped out of her room wearing a knee length, black dress and black heels. "Looking good, Martha," I complimented.

"Thanks," she said. "You look nice too."

"Yeah, well, knowing our luck, I will probably be regretting wearing heels," I told her. Martha chuckled.

"Where's the Doctor?" She asked.

"Still in the wardrobe messing with his bow tie. And speak of the devil," I said as the Doctor finally came out of the TARDIS. "Bout time."

"Sorry," he apologized, messing with his bow tie. "I was having trouble with my tie."

I rolled my eyes and walked over, gently smacking his hands away and uniting the tie. "Have you thought about pre-tied or clip on?"

"But that's cheating," the Doctor complained.

"It saves time," I pointed out, finishing fixing his bow tie. "There, now don't mess with it."

The Doctor ran his eyes over me. "You look beautiful," he complimented softly.

I smiled appreciatively. "You don't look too bad yourself." I reached up and gave him a quick kiss. "Now come on, we've got a party to go to." I looped my arms with his and Martha's and led them out of the apartment.

"Oh, black tie," the Doctor complained as we walked down the street towards the party. "Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens."

I smacked his hands away from his tie. "I told you not to mess with it," I scolded. "And don't blame your propensity to get into trouble on the tie. You're a trouble magnet no matter what you're wearing, be it a bow tie, a ridiculously long scarf, or even a stick of celery."

"It made sense at the time," the Doctor insisted.

"Stick of celery?" Martha asked.

"Long story," I told her. "Let's just say he's made some interesting fashion statements in his youth."

"Oh, well, anyway, I think the bow tie suits him," Martha said. "In a James Bond kind of way."

"James Bond?" The Doctor asked, a bit offended. Then he thought for a moment and a wide grin spread across his face. "Really?"

"Martha, please, his head is big enough as it is," I groaned, causing her to chuckle. We walked into Lazarus Laboratories and got into line to get in.

"Could you pass me the psychic paper please?" I asked the Doctor as we moved forward in line.

"What for?" He asked in confusion.

"Cause Martha can only have one plus one."

"Well then, you'll be her plus one and I'll use the psychic paper," he said.

I shook my head. "It will be more believable if Martha were to bring a male friend and I'll be more likely to get in."

The Doctor looked like he wanted to argue, but decided not to since Martha was up next. "Fine." He reached into his pant's pocket and handed me his psychic paper. He and Martha got through with no problem.

I walked forward, ready to show the man checking the list the psychic paper when he asked my name. "Ah, Mrs. Wonder," the man greeted as he looked up. I blinked in surprise. How did he know my name? "Mr. Saxon sends his greetings. Please enjoy your evening."

"Thank you," I said, giving the man a confused look. I walked past him and went over to the Doctor and Martha in the main reception room.

The Doctor smiled when he saw me come over, but the smile faded into a frown when he saw the look on my face. "Something wrong?" He asked.

"No," I told him, handing back the psychic paper. "Just the man somehow knew who I was."

"Really?" The Doctor asked in surprise.

"Yeah, he also said that Mr. Saxon sends his greetings."

"Who's Mr. Saxon?"

I shrugged. "No idea."

A thoughtful look came over the Doctor's face. "Hmm." He was distracted when a butler passed by with a tray of hors-d'oeuvres. "Oh, look, they've got nibbles! I love nibbles!" He said delightedly as he grabbed a few and popped a whole one in his mouth. I snatched one from his hand and popped it in my mouth.

Martha's sister, Tish approached us. "Hello," she greeted Martha.

"Tish," Martha said with a smile. She embraced her sister.

"You look great," Tish complimented. "So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"

Martha nodded. "Very."

"And two nights out in a row for you, that's dangerously close to a social life," Tish teased.

"If I keep this up, I'll end up in all the gossip columns," Martha joked.

Tish chuckled. "You might, actually. Keep an eye out for photographers. And Mum, she's coming too, even dragging Leo along with her."

"Leo in black tie?" Martha asked incredulously. "That I must see." Tish glanced at the Doctor and I. "This is, uh, the Doctor and Wonder," Martha introduced.

"Hello," the Doctor greeted, shaking Tish hand. I smiled and waved.

Tish nodded at me in greeting. "Is he with you?" She asked Martha.

Martha nodded. "Yeah."

"But he's not on the list. How did he get in?"

"He's my plus one," Martha told her sister. "Wonder's on the list then?"

"Mr. Saxon personally made sure she was on the list," Tish said. Martha nodded, trying to hide her confusion. The Doctor and I exchanged minute looks.

"So, this Lazarus bloke, he's your boss?" The Doctor asked Tish, quickly changing the subject.

"Professor Lazarus, yes. I'm part of his executive staff," Tish replied.

"She's in the PR department," Martha told us flatly.

"I'm head of the PR department, actually," Tish corrected, slightly offended.

Martha looked back at her sister in surprise. "You're joking."

"I put this whole thing together," Tish informed us proudly.

"So do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight?" The Doctor inquired. He gestured towards the large device standing a few yards away. "That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator."

Tish rolled her eyes. "He's a science geek. I should've known. Gotta get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later." Tish wandered into the crowd of people.

"Science geek? What does that mean?"The Doctor asked curiously.

"That your obsessively enthusiastic about it," Martha told him.

The Doctor grinned. "Oh, nice." I giggled quietly at the look of delight on his face.

"Martha." We all turned around to see Martha's mother and brother walking towards us.

"Mum!" Martha exclaimed. She gave her mother a big hug.

"Oh. All right, what's the occasion?" Mrs. Jones asked her daughter, a bit surprised.

"What do you mean? I'm just pleased to see you, that's all," Martha replied.

"You saw me last night," Mrs. Jones pointed out.

"I know. I just... miss you," Martha told her, trying to cover her slip up. She looked to her brother. "You're looking good, Leo."

"Yeah. If anyone asks me to fetch 'em a drink, I'll swing for him," Leo said.

Mrs. Jones noticed the Doctor and I standing slightly behind Martha. "You disappeared last night."

"I... just went home," Martha assured her.

Her mother eyed the Doctor suspiciously. "On your own?"

"These are a couple friends of mine, the Doctor and Wonder," Martha introduced.

"Doctor what?" Mrs. Jones asked, causing me to bite my lip to keep from smiling.

"No, it's just the Doctor," Martha corrected. "We've been doing some work together." Leo shook the Doctor and I's hands.

"Lovely to meet you, Mrs Jones. Heard a lot about you," the Doctor said as he shook her hand.

"Have you? What have you heard, then?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, you know, that you're Martha's mother and... um... No, actually, that's... that's about it," the Doctor stuttered, causing me to roll my eyes. "We haven't had much time to chat, you know, been busy."

"Busy? Doing what, exactly?" Mrs. Jones asked suspiciously.

The Doctor opened his mouth to reply, but I cut him off before he could make a bigger fool of himself. "My _husband_ and Martha work together at the hospital," I told her. "Martha was assigned to him as his assistant for her medical studies. You should be proud. She's a smart girl." Mrs. Jones was about to say something when someone tapped on their glass and everyone turned to the front where Professor Lazarus stood by his machine.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I'm going to perform a miracle," he declared. "It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you'll awake to a world which will be changed forever." Lazarus entered his machine and two female technicians started it up. The four pillars surrounding the machine began to spin individually, creating an energy field around the machine. Suddenly, a alarm blared.

"Something's wrong. It's overloading," the Doctor realized. The technicians tried to stop it, but some of the panels exploded, sending off showers of sparks.

"We have to do something or that whole thing will exploded and kill everyone here!" I said worriedly. The Doctor ran over and aimed his sonic at the controls.

"Somebody stop him! Get him away from those controls!" An elderly woman, Lady Thaw, shouted.

"If this thing goes off, it'll take the whole building with it. Is that what you want?" The Doctor yelled back. He pulled one of the main wires and the pillars slowly stopped spinning. Martha and I quickly ran over.

"Help me," I told Martha. We both grabbed the door handle and pulled. Smoked poured out and Lazarus slowly emerged. I stared, wide eyed at the man who now look 40 years younger.

Lazarus touched his face in wonder. He stood up and turned to the crowd of guests watching in amazement. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am 76 years old and I am reborn!" He exclaimed, holding his arms up in triumph. Everyone applauded and the photographers went into a picture taking frenzy.

While Lazarus wandered off into the crowd, the Doctor took the opportunity to examine Lazarus's machine. "It can't be the same guy," Martha insisted. "It's impossible. It must be a trick."

"Oh, it's not a trick. I wish it were," the Doctor sighed.

"What just happened, then?" Martha asked.

"He just changed what it means to be human," I quoted. I eyed Lazarus who was talking with Lady Thaw a couple yards away. I noticed him crack his neck with a grimace and I narrowed my eyes. "I think we need to have a talk with Lazarus."

The Doctor, finished with his examination of the machine looked over at said man. Lazarus grabbed a tray from a waiter and began shoveling hors-d'oeuvres into his mouth. "I think you're right," the Doctor agreed. He, Martha, and I walked over.

"Richard!" Lady Thaw scolded, watching Lazarus, aghast at his behavior.

"I'm famished," Lazarus replied, his voice muffled slightly by the food.

"Energy deficit," the Doctor said as he, Martha, and I came up behind Lazarus. "Always happens with this kind of process."

Lazarus raised an eyebrow at the Doctor."You speak as if you see this every day, Mr..."

"Doctor," the Doctor supplied. "And, well, no, not every day, but I have some experience in this kind of transformation."

"That's not possible," Lazarus said, smiling sinisterly.

"Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance. That's... that's inspired," the Doctor told Lazarus.

Lazarus eyed the Doctor. "You understand the theory, then."

"Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables."

"No experiment is entirely without risk," Lazarus pointed out.

"That thing nearly exploded," the Doctor retorted. "You might as well have stepped into a blender."

"You're not qualified to comment," Lady Thaw snapped.

"Actually, he's the most qualified person you will ever find," I snapped back, glaring at the woman. "That machine would have exploded and incinerated the whole building if he hadn't stopped it."

"Then I thank you, Doctor. But that's a simple engineering issue," Lazarus replied. "What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

"You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests," Martha told him.

Lazarus laughed. "Look at me! You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need."

"This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially," Lady Thaw said proudly.

"Commercially?!" I asked, staring at the woman in shock.

Martha stared at Lady Thaw with a similar expression. "You are joking. That'll cause chaos."

"Not chaos. Change," Lazarus corrected. "A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."

"This isn't about improving. It's about you and your customers living a little longer," the Doctor snapped, getting fed up with Lazarus.

Lazarus smiled sinisterly. "Not a little longer, Doctor. A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely."

"Richard, we have things to discuss. Upstairs," Lady Thaw ordered.

"Goodbye, Doctor. In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were," Lazarus said, smirking smugly. He reached out and took Martha's hand, kissing the back of it before following after Lady Thaw. Martha glanced down at her hand in disgust.

"Ooh, he's out of his depth," the Doctor growled as we watched Lazarus go.

I nodded in agreement. "There is no telling the amount of damage he might have done."

"So what do we do now?" Martha asked.

"Now... well, this building must be full of laboratories. I say we do our own tests," the Doctor suggested.

"Lucky I've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?" Martha said, holding up her hand and wiggling her fingers while smirking.

I grinned. "Martha, you're a star."

The Doctor led us through the building until we found a lab. He took a swab on Martha's hand where Lazarus kissed it. We stared at a computer screen as it displayed the test result. "Amazing," the Doctor murmured, looking at a section of Lazarus's DNA.

"What?" Martha asked.

"Lazarus's DNA."

"I can't see anything different."

"Just watch," I told her, staring at the screen intently. Suddenly, the image on the screen flickered and a section of the DNA strand changed.

"Oh, my gosh!" Martha exclaimed. "Did that just change? But it can't have!"

"But it did."

"It's impossible."

"And that's two impossible things we've seen tonight," the Doctor said. He turned to us and grinned like a child. "Don't you love it when that happens?"

"That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns," Martha realized.

"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure then a mutagenic program to manipulate the coding in the protein strands," the Doctor explained.

"In other words, he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate," I added when Martha gave us a confused look.

"But they're still mutating now," the med student noted.

"'Cause he missed something," the Doctor said. "Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilize. Something that's trying to change him."

"Change him into what?" Martha asked apprehensively.

"Don't know," I sighed. "But whatever it is, we need to find out." I stood straight and grabbed the Doctor's hand, dragging him out of the lab. "Come on, Lady Thaw said they were going upstairs."

The elevator stopped and we walked off. The Doctor turned on the lights to reveal a large room with a desk and chair on one end by the huge windows. "This is his office, all right," Martha said.

"So, where is he?" the Doctor murmured thoughtfully.

Martha shook her head. "Dunno. Let's try back at the re...ception..." Martha trailed off towards the end.

"Martha?" I asked her in confusion. She didn't answer, just pointed to something behind Lazarus's desk. I looked to where she was pointing and my eyes widened. A pair of skeletal legs wearing heels stuck out from behind the desk. The three of us rushed over to investigate. Attached to the legs was the rest of the skeleton wearing a horrifyingly familiar dress.

"Is that Lady Thaw?" Martha asked in horror.

The Doctor nodded somberly. "Used to be. Now it's just a shell. Had all the life energy drained out. Like squeezing the juice out of an orange."

"Did you have to relate it to juicing an orange?" I complained. "Now I'm never going to look at orange juice the same way again."

"So it was Lazarus," Martha concluded.

"Could be," the Doctor said.

"So he's changed already."

"Not necessarily," I said. "His DNA was still fluctuating. This must demand a lot of energy and my guess is that this was not enough."

"So he might do this again?" Martha asked in horror.

The Doctor nodded. "Hmm." He shot to his feet and we dashed to the elevator.

"I can't see him," Martha said as we scoured the reception room for Lazarus.

"He can't be far. Keep looking," the Doctor told her. He grabbed my hand and we continued to move around the room. Seeing no sign of Lazarus, we walked back over to Martha, who was talking with her brother.

"Yeah. He was getting' cozy with Tish a couple of minutes ago," Leo told Martha as the Doctor and I walked over.

"With Tish?!" Martha asked in horror.

"Ah, Doctor, Wonder," Mrs. Jones said as she came over.

"Where did they go?" the Doctor asked Leo hurriedly, he and I completely ignoring Martha's mother.

Leo frowned in confusion. "Upstairs I think, why?" Martha, the Doctor, and I shared worried looks.

"Doctor..." Mrs. Jones said in a annoyed tone. The Doctor and I once again ignored her. We rushed past, the Doctor accidentally bumping into her, causing her to spill her drink. "I'm speaking to you!" She shouted.

"Not now, Mum!" Martha whispered harshly to her mother as she followed us. We took the elevator back to Lazarus's office and hurried out. We glanced around, but saw no sign of either Tish or Lazarus. "Where are they?"

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver. "Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature. I might be able to pick it up." He held his sonic out as it beeped. He slowly turned in a circle as the beeping increased. "Got him."

"Where?" Martha asked quickly. In answer, the Doctor pointed his sonic to the ceiling. "But this is the top floor!"

"The roof!" I shouted. We dashed for the stairs to the roof.

We arrived on the roof to find Tish standing next to Lazarus, running her fingers over his face with an expression of awe. "And is it like you expected?" Tish asked Lazarus. The Doctor motioned for Martha and I to stay back.

"I find that nothing's ever exactly like you expect," Lazarus replied. "There's always something to surprise you. 'Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act-"

"Falls the shadow'," the Doctor finished.

Lazarus and Tish turned around. "So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed," Lazarus said, sounding anything but.

"Martha, what are you doing here?" Tish asked.

"Tish, get away from him," Martha ordered her sister.

Tish glared at her sister. "What? Don't tell me what to do."

"I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus, what with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all," the Doctor said, glaring at Lazarus.

"You're right, Doctor. One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like," Lazarus replied. "How much more would I get done in two or three or four?"

"That's not how life works," I told him. "It's not the length of time, it's what's we do with the time we're given."

"But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be," Lazarus said, smirking.

"Or what a curse," the Doctor retorted. "Look at what you've done to yourself."

Lazarus's smirked disappeared, turning into a sneer. "Who are you to judge me?"

"Over here, Tish," Martha insisted.

"You have to spoil everything, don't you?" Tish snapped as she walked over to us. "Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault." My eyes widened slightly as I noticed Lazarus having some sort of seizure behind Tish.

"Tish, he's a monster!" Martha warned, flicking her gaze to Lazarus. The Doctor put an arm in front of me protectively and I took a couple of steps back as Lazarus continued to change.

"I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones," Tish replied. She turned at the sound of growling and stared in horror at Lazarus, who had now changed fully. He looked like a cross between a human skeleton and a scorpion. The monsters roared and reared up.

"Run!" The Doctor shouted, grabbing my hand and dragging me back inside. Tish and Martha followed at our heels. The Doctor soniced the door shut and we dashed back over to the elevator.

"Are you okay?" Martha asked her sister in concern.

"I was gonna snog him," Tish replied shakily. We heard a loud bang against the sealed door. The lights suddenly dimmed and sirens began to go off.

"Security breach. Security breach. Security beach," a computerized voice warned over the PA.

"What's happening?" Martha asked.

"Uh, an intrusion," Tish answered. "It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts. Seals the exits."

"He must be breaking through that door," the Doctor realized. "The stairs, come on!" He grabbed my hand again and the four of us rushed down the stairs. I had to concentrate as I ran down the stairs so I wouldn't trip in my heels. About half way down we heard a loud crash.

"He's inside!" Martha gasped.

"Haven't got much time!" We ran back to the reception. "Tish! Is there another way out of here?" The Doctor asked urgently.

"There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now," Tish answered.

The Doctor tossed me his sonic screwdriver. "Wonder, setting 54. Hurry." I nodded and ran towards the doors Tish had indicated, her and Martha at my heels.

"Listen to me!" The Doctor shouted to the crowd of people. "Your people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!"

"Don't be ridiculous," a woman scoffed. "The biggest danger here is choking on an olive." There was a shattering of glass and Lazarus appeared on the landing above the reception and lept to the floor. Everyone started screaming and rushing for the exit.

I quickly activated the sonic and unlocked the doors. "This way!" I urged the crowd, who happily obliged. "Everyone downstairs! Hurry!"

"No! Get away from her!" I heard the Doctor yell. I turned to see Lazarus bearing down on the woman who had spoken earlier. She just stood there screaming as Lazarus bore down on her, his scorpion-like tail poised above her. I glanced around, grabbed a serving tray from the floor, and flung it at Lazarus like a frisbee. The tray smacked his head and he stumbled.

I rushed forward while Lazarus was distracted and grabbed the woman's hand. "Come on!" I told her, dragging her back towards the exit.

"Lazarus! Leave them alone!" The Doctor shouted. I stopped at the doors and turned around. Lazarus, who had been approaching Mrs. Jones as she cradled and injured Leo turned to face to the Doctor. Martha quickly rushed over to them and helped her mother get Leo on his feet. "What's the point if you can't control it? The mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help you," the Doctor continued, keeping Lazarus's attention as Martha pulled her mother and brother to safety. Lazarus hissed at him. "You're a fool, a vain old man who thought he could defy Nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!" The Doctor ran off, Lazarus in hot pursuit.

' _Theta!_ ' I shouted at him in concern.

' _Get the people out of the building!_ ' He ordered.

' _Fine, just don't die!_ '

' _I'll do my best_ ,' he replied. I ran over to Martha who was examining Leo.

"He's got a concussion. You'll need to help him downstairs," she told her mother. Martha went over and grabbed some ice from a nearby bucket and put it in a napkin. "This'll keep the swelling down. Where's the Doctor?" She asked me.

"He's biding us some time," I answered. "We need to go. Come one!" Martha and I herded her family through the doors and down the stairs.

We reached the bottom of the stairs where all the partygoers were banging on the main entrance doors in a vain attempt to get out. "We can't get out! We're trapped!" Tish said worriedly.

"Where's the security desk?" I asked.

"Right there," Tish said. I ran over and slid over the top of the desk.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked.

"Override switch," I said simply. I quickly examined the circuit board before sonicing it. The power came back on and the front doors unlocked. Everyone rushed out. I followed the crowd, making sure everyone got out all right. "I'm going back in," I told Martha.

The med student turned to me in surprise. "You can't! You need to stay out here where it's safe."

"Martha, he's my husband. Besides, I need to return this," I said, holding up the sonic screwdriver. "Idiot can barely do anything without this thing."

"Then I'm coming with you," Martha said firmly.

I shook my head. "You need to stay with your family. Look after your brother." Before she could protest, I turned and ran back inside, kicking my heels off in the process. I knew I was going to regret wearing them. I rushed into the reception area and down the hall I had seen the Doctor disappear. I came to a fork in the hallway and stopped, trying to figure out which way to go. I turned my head when I heard the sound of heels coming up behind me. "Martha, I told you to stay!"

"You don't give me orders!" She snapped. "Besides, I don't think the Doctor would be very happy if I let his pregnant wife come in alone."

I sighed, knowing she was right. "Fine. Let's go this way." We ran down the left hallway. We were running down another hallway when we heard a loud explosion. We glanced at each other. "When in doubt, follow the explosion." We quickly changed direction, dashing down an adjoining hallway. Rounding a corner, I nearly collided with the Doctor.

"What are you doing here?!" The Doctor demanded.

"I'm returning this," I told him, holding out his sonic screwdriver. "I thought you might need it."

"How did you...?"

"We heard the explosion. Guessed it was you," Martha pipped up, breathing heavily from all the running.

"I blasted Lazarus," the Doctor explained.

"Did you kill him?" Martha inquired. Just then, Lazarus came crashing down the hall.

"I think he just annoyed him," I corrected. The Doctor grabbed our hands and we dashed down the hall.

We made it back to the reception area. "What now? We've just gone 'round in a circle!" Martha said.

The Doctor rushed over to Lazarus's machine. "We can't lead him outside. Come on, get in," he urged. Martha and I quickly climbed in and the Doctor squeezed in after us. It would have been a tight fit with just two people, but with three, I felt like I was in a can of sardines.

"Are we hiding?" Martha asked.

"No, he knows we're here," the Doctor said. "But this is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us."

"But we're trapped!"

"Well, yeah, that's a slight problem."

"You mean you don't have a plan?" Martha asked in surprise.

"Martha, he never has a plan," I informed her.

"That's not true, I had a plan," the Doctor protested.

"Yes, which consisted of getting in here and then coming up with another plan," I retorted.

"Great," Martha muttered. Outside, Lazarus walked around the machine, looking for a way to get at us. The Doctor started shifting around, trying to reach his jacket pocket.

"Doctor, now is not the time for that," I scolded as his hand brushed against a particular body part.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," he apologized, his cheeks turning red. After a bit of maneuvering, he finally managed to pull out his sonic. "Here we are."

"What're you gonna do with that?" Martha asked.

"What he usually does, improvise," I told her. With difficulty, the Doctor slid to the floor and popped open a panel.

"I still don't understand where that thing came from. Is it alien?"

"No, for once it's strictly human in origin," the Doctor replied as he began sonicing the wires in the panel.

"Human? How can it be human?" Martha asked in disbelief.

"Most likely from dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA that were deactivated by this machine," I mused. "Guess they've become dominant now."

"So it's a throwback," Martha said.

"Some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there," the Doctor added, continuing in his work. "Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."

"It's like Pandora's box."

The Doctor nodded. "Exactly. Nice shoes, by the way." Martha rolled her eyes at his ill timed compliment. Suddenly, a blue light came on and the machine began to make noise.

"Doctor, Wonder, what's happening?" Martha asked, starting to panic.

"He switched the machine on," I answered, my hearts picking up.

"That's not good, is it?"

"Well, I was hoping it was gonna take him a little bit longer to work that out," the Doctor replied, picking up the pace as he worked. Martha and I glanced around fearfully as the machine kicked into gear.

"I don't want to hurry you, but-"

"I know, I know! Nearly done," the Doctor interrupted.

"What're you doin'?" Martha demanded.

"Trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it."

"Will that kill him?"

"He's three times his size when he transforms," I informed her. "Cellular triplication, so he's spreading himself thin."

"We're gonna end up like him!" Martha panicked, closing her eyes tightly.

"Just one more!" The Doctor announced. He pulled a wire and the machine shot a blast of energy outwards before dying down. The three of us slowly stepped out of the machine.

"I thought we were gonna go through the blender then," Martha breathed.

"Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity," the Doctor sighed.

"Guess you're out of practice," I told him. We spotted Lazarus's body lying on the floor a few feet away, back in human form and naked.

"Oh gosh," Martha gasped as we stared at the body. "He seems so... human again. It's kind of pitiful."

"Eliot saw that, too," the Doctor said.

"This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper," I quoted quietly, gazing sadly at Lazarus's body. The Doctor wrapped an arm around my waist as I leaned my head on his shoulder.

A little while later, Martha, the Doctor, and I walked out of the building. I watched sadly as medical services wheeled Lazarus's body by in a body bag on a gurney. Tish spotted Martha and nudged her mother and brother. "She's here. Oh, she's all right," she gasped in relief and they hurried over. Martha embraced her sister tightly.

"Ah, Mrs Jones, we still haven't finished out chat," the Doctor said, grinning as Mrs. Jones walked over.

"Uh, Doctor," I tried to warn him as I noticed the look of fury on Mrs. Jones's face, the same look I had seen on Jackie's face before she slapped the Doctor. Too late. Mrs. Jones promptly slapped the Doctor. He staggered back, groaning in pain. "Doctor!"

"Keep away from my daughter," Mrs. Jones snarled at the Doctor. She looked to me as I checked his rapidly reddening cheek to make sure no damage had been done. "Both of you."

"Mum, what are you doing?" Martha asked incredulously.

The Doctor put a hand over his cheek, flexing his jaw slightly. "All their mothers, every time," he complained.

"Oh, you'll be fine," I assured him. "Though I think she would give Jackie a run for her money with that slap."

"He is dangerous!" Mrs. Jones exclaimed to her daughter. I frowned slightly in confusion. Why hadn't she called me dangerous. After all, she did tell me to stay away from Martha. "I've been told things."

Martha frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Mrs. Jones placed her hands on Martha's shoulders. "Look around you! Nothing but death and destruction!"

"This isn't their fault," Martha told her angrily, shoving her mother's hand off her shoulders. "They saved us, all of us!"

"It was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place. I'd say technically, it's her fault," Leo pipped up. Tish elbowed her brother in the side. Suddenly, there was a crash in the distance. The Doctor and I glanced at each other before darting off in the direction of the noise. We skidded to a halt in front of the ambulance that was stopped in the middle of the street. Tish and Martha came running up a moment later. The ambulance doors were open and the two medics in the back were nothing but rags and bones.

"Lazarus, back from the dead," the Doctor said.

"We really should've seen that coming," I grumbled. The Doctor fished out his sonic and started searching for Lazarus like he did earlier.

"Where's he gone?" Martha asked.

"That way. The church," the Doctor said, turning the sonic in that direction.

"Cathedral," Tish pipped up. "It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me." The Doctor dashed off in the direction of the cathedral, us three girls at his heels.

"Do you think he's in here?" Martha asked as we stood in front cathedral.

"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?" The Doctor replied. We slowly walked into the empty cathedral and continued our search for Lazarus. I spotted the scientist sitting in an open space behind the altar under the bell tower, gasping as he clutched a red blanket around him. I nudged the Doctor and nodded to Lazarus.

"I came here before. A lifetime ago," Lazarus said as we approached. "I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat there, just a child... the sound of planes and bombs outside."

"The Blitz," I said quietly, remembering our adventure with the gas mask zombies and Captain Jack Harkness.

Lazarus looked up at me. "You've read about it."

"We were there," the Doctor corrected.

"You're both too young," Lazarus scoffed.

"So are you," the Doctor told him.

Lazarus laughed, but then gasped in pain as he fought his mutation. "In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive," he continued, breathing heavily. "I swore I'd never face death like that again." The Doctor slowly walked around Lazarus while I stayed put. He glanced around the room as he walked. I could practically hear the gears turning in his head as he tried to figure out a plan. Martha and Tish stood off to the side, watching the scene play out.

' _We need to get him up to the bell tower somehow_ ,' I told the Doctor. ' _We can use that pipe organ on the balcony_.' He gave me a minute nod.

"So defenseless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it," Lazarus continued.

"That's what you were trying to do today," the Doctor said, anger seeping into his voice as he circled Lazarus.

"That's what I _did_ today," Lazarus corrected with a snarl.

"What about the people you killed?" I growled.

Lazarus turned his gaze on me. "They were nothing. I changed the course of history," he declared.

"Any of them might have done, too," the Doctor told him quietly. "You think history's only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that."

"No, Doctor," Lazarus growled. "Avoiding death. That's being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fiber of being. I'm doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more... successful." Lazarus groaned in pain again and he doubled over as his body cracked and popped.

"Look at yourself! You're mutating!" The Doctor exclaimed, walking back over to me, his eyes never leaving Lazarus. "You've no control over it! You call that a success?"

"I call it progress," Lazarus corrected, still breathing heavily. "I'm more now than I was. More than just an ordinary human."

"There's no such thing as an ordinary human," I replied. Lazarus sneered, but cried out in pain, his bones cracking even more as he continued to fight his mutation.

Martha slid over to the Doctor and I. "He's gonna change again at any minute," she whispered.

"I know. If I can get him up into the bell tower somehow, I've an idea that might work," the Doctor told her. I elbowed him in the ribs and he winced slightly. " _Wonder_ has an idea that might work," he corrected.

Martha looked up towards the bell tower. "Up there?" The Doctor and I nodded. The Doctor slowly started walking around Lazarus again.

Lazarus looked up at the Doctor, gasping for breath. "You're so sentimental, Doctor. Maybe you are older than you look," he said.

"I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one," the Doctor told him. "In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle. Tired of losing everyone that matters to you. Tried of watching everything turn to dust." He crouched down in front of Lazarus. "If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you end up alone."

"That's a price worth paying," Lazarus declared..

The Doctor started at the man in front in him sadly. "Is it?"

Lazarus gasped in pain once again. "I will feed soon."

"I'm not gonna let that happen," the Doctor told him.

"You've not been able to stop me so far," Lazarus retorted.

"Leave him, Lazarus!" Martha suddenly shouted from behind the scientist. I had been so focused on the Doctor that I hadn't noticed Martha move from behind me. Lazarus turned to the med student with a glare. "He's old and bitter. Thought you had a taste for fresher meat."

"Martha, no!" I yelled. Lazarus snarled and chased after Martha and Tish.

"Doctor! Wonder! The tower!" Martha shouted over her shoulder as she ran, Tish at her heels. The Doctor and I ran towards the balcony, looking for the two girls. We heard Lazarus cry out again, but that quickly changed to growls as he changed once more.

"Where are they?" The Doctor growled to himself. "Martha?!"

The med student poked her head out of one of the archways on the upper level. "Doctor!" She called.

"Take him to the top, the very top of the bell tower, d'you hear me?!" He ordered.

Martha nodded. "Up to the top! Then what?" She asked. Before the Doctor got a chance to reply, Martha ducked back in as Lazarus caught up to them.

The Doctor grabbed my hand and we ran for the stairs to the large pipe organ. We slid onto the bench and the Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "Hypersonic sound waves. Inspired," he mumbled. He jammed the sonic into one of the slots in the organ as I pulled out all the stops. We both looked up as we heard the girls screaming.

"I hope there's good acoustics in here," I said. The Doctor and I began to play, the sound of the organ reverberating off the stone walls. Unfortunately, we could still hear Martha and Tish screaming as the tried to avoid Lazarus.

The Doctor pulled his sonic back out and pointed it at the organ. "We need to turn this up to 11." He resumed playing and I had to cover my ears this time as the volume escalated. He quit playing when we both heard a loud crash. We quickly looked over the organ balcony to see Lazarus laying on the ground, now back in human form.

"Martha?!" I called anxiously, hoping that we hadn't been too late.

"I'm okay! We're both okay!" Martha called back. I sighed heavily in relief and leaned against the Doctor. He wrapped an arm around me and kissed my forehead.

"Come on," he said quietly, taking my hand and leading back down the stairs. We approached Lazarus's body and the Doctor knelt next to it. As he reached forward and closed Lazarus's eyes, the body became old once more. I turned around as I heard footsteps and embraced Martha in a tight hug, glad to see her safe and sound. The Doctor took his turn to hug her once I had let go.

"I didn't know you two could play?" Martha said.

"Oh, well, you know, if you hang around with Beethoven, you're bound to pick a few things up," the Doctor replied with a shrug.

"Hmm, especially about playing loud," Martha teased.

The Doctor leaned forward a bit and raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Sorry?" Martha and I chuckled. "Come on." After saying goodbye to her sister, Martha, the Doctor, and I made our way back to Martha's apartment. "Something else that just kind of escalated, then," the Doctor sighed as we stood in front on the TARDIS.

"I can see a pattern developing," Martha teased with a sad smile. "You two should take more care in the future. And the past, and whatever other time period you find yourself in, especially now that you have a baby on the way." I smiled and placed a hand on my still flat stomach.

"It's good fun, though, isn't it?" The Doctor grinned.

Martha nodded. "Yeah."

The Doctor smiled enticingly. "So, what d'you say, one more trip?"

Martha hesitated for a moment before sighing. "No. Sorry." I nodded sadly.

The Doctor blinked in surprise. "What do you mean? I thought you liked it."

I do, but I can't go on like this. 'One more trip.' It's not fair," Martha replied.

"What're you talking about?"

' _Really, Theta?_ ' I asked him in exasperation. Did he seriously not see how she felt?

"I don't want to be just a passenger anymore. Someone you take along for a treat," Martha explained. "If that's how you still see me, well, I'd rather stay here."

The Doctor and I glanced at each other. ' _Go on then_ ,' I told him.

"Okay, then. If that's what you want," the Doctor told Martha.

Martha frowned. "Right. But we've already said good-bye once today so it's really best if you just go." She walked away from the TARDIS and stood with her back to it. The Doctor and I didn't move, simply staring at the med student. Martha looked back over her shoulder when she didn't hear the TARDIS dematerializing. "What is it?"

"What? I said okay," the Doctor repeated.

Martha blinked. "Sorry?"

"He said okay," I told her, smiling.

Martha grinned and ran forward, throwing her arms around first me then the Doctor. "Oh, thank you! Thank you!"

"Well, you were never really just a passenger, were you?" The Doctor said.

"Nobody has been on the TARDIS and not become a companion," I told her as we went into the time machine. Martha grinned as the Doctor sent us into the Time Vortex on our next adventure.

* * *

 **So I would like some help from you guys. I'm trying to think of a name for the Doctor and Wonder's child. I would like you guy to give me some ideas. I already know what gender the child will be, but I don't want to give it away. I need a human name and maybe a Gallifreyan name. So please send me your suggestions. I unfortunately don't know when the next chapter will be up, but it will probably be a while, so don't fret if it's not up in the next month. Anyway, please review. Till next time!  
**


	37. 42

**Hello readers! I finally present to you the next chapter! I'm so sorry it took so long, this was a tough semester. I might have some time to start on the next chapter over the next week and a half before the end of the semester since I only have one final I plan on taking. I want to thank everyone who has given me suggestions for names. I think I have picked the human name, but I haven't decided on a Gallifreyan name yet, so please keep sending in suggestions. I will warn you guys, my editor hasn't had the chance to go through this one yet. I will post the updated version once I get it back. Anyway, I'm sure you guys are eager to read the story so I won't keep you.**

* * *

The TARDIS shook slightly as she flew through the Time Vortex. I was sitting in the captain's chair reading as the Doctor piloted. I turned a page in my book and then rested my hand back on my stomach. It had been about a month since we brought Martha on as a companion and I had since grown a baby bump. It filled me with joy every time I looked down and saw the evidence of the precious baby growing inside me. I looked up from my book when I heard Martha enter the console room. "Morning, Martha," I greeted cheerfully, digging into a plastic baggie of trail mix and popping some raisins and peanuts in my mouth. I found myself being hungry more often these days, since I have to feed two instead of one.

She smiled at me. "Morning, Wonder. Morning, Doctor. Where are we going today?"

"Thought I'd set the TARDIS to random," the Doctor replied. "First, however, can I see your phone?"

"What for?" Martha asked in confusion.

"I'm going to give it an upgrade." Her brows furrowed in confusion, Martha handed him her phone. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and ran it over her phone. "There we go!" He said cheerfully, tossing the phone back. "Universal Roaming. Never have to worry about a signal again."

"No way! But it's... too mad!" Martha gasped in surprise. "You're telling me I can call anyone, anywhere in Space and Time on my mobile?!"

"Just so long as you know the area code," I told her, popping more of my trail mix in my mouth.

"Frequent Fliers' privilege," the Doctor added with a smile. Martha grinned excitedly. "Go on. Try it." Before Martha had a chance to dial, the TARDIS jolted, throwing her and the Doctor to the floor and nearly knocking me out of my seat. The monitor started flashing red. "Distress signal!" The Doctor shouted, struggling to get to his feet. "Locking on!" I gripped onto my seat tightly as he activated a switch with his foot. "Might be a bit of-" The TARDIS jolted violently, sending him and Martha to the floor again and causing me to have to quickly grab my baggie of trail mix so it didn't fall off the seat. "Turbulence," he finished. "Sorry!" He jumped to his feet, helped me down from the chair, and dashed towards the door. Martha got to her feet and brushed herself off, giving the Doctor an annoyed look. "Come on! Let's take a look!" He opened the door and stepped out. We were immediately hit with a wave of heat. "Whoa! Now that is hot!"

"You can say that again," I agreed, pulling off my sweat jacket and tossing back into the TARDIS, leaving me in just my blue t-shirt. I stuffed my trail mix into my pants pocket and looked around, trying to figure out where we had landed. It looked like some kind of engine room.

"Whoa! It's like a sauna in here!" Martha exclaimed as she stepped out behind us. She took her jacket off and tossed it aside.

"Venting systems," the Doctor commented, examining the pieces of equipment. "Working at full pelt. Trying to cool down...Uh, where-ever it is we are."

"Yes, well, that's great, but can we get out of here before I'm roasted like a Thanksgiving turkey?" I asked, using a hand to fan myself in a vain attempt to cool down.

The Doctor nodded. "Right." He walked over to a door that said "Area 30" and opened it. "Well, that's better..." He said with a smile. I breathed a sigh of relief as I walked out into the cooler air. Suddenly, two men and a woman came running towards us.

"Oi! You two!" The younger of the men yelled.

"Get out of there!" The woman shouted.

"Seal that door! Now!" The Doctor and I stared at them, surprised and confused. The two men ran and closed the door we had just come through, Martha having to hurry out of the way to avoid being shut in.

"Who are you? What are you doing on my ship?" The woman demanded.

"Are you police?" The first man asked.

"Why does everyone assume we're police?" I wondered aloud.

"We got your distress signal," Martha told them.

"If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?" The Doctor asked.

"It went dead four minutes ago," the woman told us.

"So maybe we should stop chatting and get to engineering," the second man said, giving the woman a pointed look. "Captain."

" **Secure closure active,** " a computerized voice announced.

"What?!" The captain exclaimed in surprise. We all looked around at a loud banging.

"The ship's gone mad," the second man said in confusion. Another woman came running down the hall as the doors too each section slammed shut behind her.

"Who activated secure closure?" She demanded. "I nearly got locked into area 27." The door to our section, section 29, slammed shut. The new arrival looked at the Doctor, Martha, and I in confusion. "Who are you?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer, but Martha cut him off. "He's the Doctor, she's Wonder, and I'm Martha. Hello," she said, sounding distracted. I glanced at her as she walked over to a small window.

" **Impact projection: 42 minutes,** " a computerized voice announced.

"Well, that doesn't sound good," I muttered.

"We'll get out of this. I promise," the captain assured her crew.

"Doctor..." Martha called shakily from the window. I walked over to see what had disturbed her. I looked out the small window and my eyes widened.

"Forty-two minutes 'til what?" The Doctor asked, not having heard Martha.

"Doctor, you really need to see this," I told him urgently. He immediately came over at my worried tone.

"What wrong?" He asked. I merely pointed out the window. I moved out of the way so he could see. "Oh," was his reply. Outside the window was an enormous sun and the ship was headed straight for it.

"Forty-two minutes until we crash into the sun," the captain said.

The Doctor ran back over to the captain and grabbed her arm. "How many crew members on board?" He demanded urgently.

"Seven, including us," the captain replied.

"We transport cargo across the galaxy," the second man explained. "Everything's automated. We just keep the ship."

The Doctor darted back to the door we came through. "Call the others, I'll get you out!"

"What's he doing?!" The first man shouted.

"No! Don't!" The captain yelled in warning. Too late. The Doctor opened the door, but before he could go in, he was blasted back by a wall of hot air. He let out a cry of pain as he fell back.

"Doctor!" I shouted in worry, running over to him to make sure he was okay. The second woman quickly threw on a breathing apparatus and closed the door again.

"But my ship's in there!" The Doctor protested as I helped him to his feet.

"In the vent chamber?" The first man asked in confusion.

"It's our lifeboat!"

"It's lava," the second man corrected.

"The temperature's going mad in there!" The second woman announced, reading the temperature gauge. "Up 3000 degrees in ten seconds, and still rising."

"Channelling the air," the first man explained. "The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room's gonna get."

"We're stuck here," Martha muttered.

I looked at the med student. "Martha, you've traveled with us long enough to know there is always a way out," I reminded her.

"Wonder's right," the Doctor agreed. "We fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the Sun! Simple! Engineering down here, is it?!" He grabbed my hand and ran down a corridor.

" **Impact in 40.26** ," the computer informed us.

The crew followed the Doctor down a set of stairs into the engine room. "Blimey!" He commented in surprise. "Do you always leave things in such a mess?"

"Oh my gosh!" The captain exclaimed.

"What the heck happened?!" The second man demanded.

"I'll take that as a no," I muttered, nudging a nearby piece of equipment. The engine room was a complete mess. Wires, springs, and casings were all over the place, steam rising from the engine block in the middle of the room.

"Oh, it's wrecked," the first man grumbled.

"Pretty efficiently too," the Doctor agreed. "Someone knew what they were doing." He wandered over to a computer terminal.

"Where's Korwin? Has anyone heard from him or Ashton?" The captain asked.

"No," the second man answered.

"You mean someone did this on purpose?" Martha asked, surprised.

"Korwin? Ashton? Where are you?" The captain asked over the intercom, but no one replied. "Korwin, can you answer?!" Still no answer. "Where the heck is he? He should be up here!"

I walked over to help the Doctor, who was trying to figure out where we were. "It's not working," he grumbled as I came up behind him.

"That's because you didn't do this," I told him, pressing a button on the screen. The screen changed and a map of the solar system appeared.

"What would I do without you?" He said, wrapping an arm around my waist and kissing my forehead.

"Oh, you would have figured it out...eventually," I added with a cheeky grin. He raised an eyebrow at me and smirked.

He looked back at the screen and grinned. "Oh! We're in the Torajji system! Lovely! You're a long way from home, Martha. Half a universe away."

"Yeah. Feels it," Martha grumbled sarcastically.

I turned to the captain. "Why are you still using fusion scoops?" I asked. "I thought they would have outlawed them a long time ago." The crew looked at each other guiltily.

"We're due to upgrade next docking," the captain answered dismissively. She turned away from the Doctor and I's scrutinizing gaze. "Scannell, engine report."

The older of the two men walked over to the computer terminal and pressed a few buttons. The computer beeped at him. "No response," Scannel reported in surprise. He ran over to the wrecked engine.

"What?!" The captain asked in shock.

Scannell examined some of the wires. "They're burnt out. The controls are wrecked. I can't get them back online."

"What about auxiliary engines?" I asked.

"She's right," the Doctor agreed. "Every craft's got auxiliaries!"

"We don't have access from here. The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship," the captain told us.

"Yeah, with 29 password sealed doors between us and them. You'll never get there in time," Scannell added.

"Can't you override the doors?" Martha asked.

Scannell shook his head. "No. Sealed closure means what it says. They're all dead-lock sealed."

"Of course they are," I grumbled.

"So a sonic screwdriver's no use," the Doctor added, disappointed.

"Nothing's any use. We've got no engines, no time, and no chance," Scannell said.

"Oh listen to you! Defeated before you've even started! Where's your Dunkirk spirit?!" The Doctor scolded. "Who's got the door passwords?"

"They're randomly generated. Reckon I know most of 'em," the younger man interrupted. "Sorry. Riley Vashti."

"Then what're you waiting for Riley Vashti, get on it."

"Well, it's a two-person job," Riley said, grabbing a large clamp and backpack. "One, it takes to answer the questions, and the other to carry this." He slung the backpack over his shoulder and lifted the clamp. "The oldest and cheapest security system around, eh captain?"

"Reliable and simple, just like you, eh Riley?" The captain teased.

"Try and be helpful, get abuse. Nice!" Riley sighed.

Martha took the clamp from Riley. "I'll help you. Make myself useful."

"It's remotely controlled by computer panel. That's why it needs two," Riley explained. He and Martha started to walk off.

"Oi," the Doctor called after her, causing the med student to turn around. "Be careful."

Martha smiled. "You too." She followed Riley.

Suddenly, a male voice came over the intercom. " **McDonnell? It's Ashton.** "

The captain, McDonnell, ran over to the intercom. "Where are you? Is Korwin with you?" She asked worriedly.

" **Get up to the med-centre now!** " Ashton said, deadly serious. McDonnell ran off, the Doctor and I glancing at each other before following.

" **Impact in 34.3,** " the computer announced.

"Korwin!" McDonnell gasped as we ran into the med center. A man who I assumed was Ashton and a woman stood next to an examination table, attempting to hold down a man, who must have been Korwin. "Ashton, Abi, what happened?! Is he OK?!"

"Oh gosh! Help me! It's burning me!" Korwin yelled as he thrashed about.

"How long's he been like this?!" The Doctor asked as he and I ran over.

"Ashton just brought him in," Abi answered. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned Korwin.

"What are you doing?!" McDonnell demanded, panicking.

"Sonic impulse," the Doctor replied.

"Don't be so stupid, that's my husband!" McDonnell exclaimed, pushing past Ashton to the head of the bed.

"And he's just sabotaged our ship!" Ashton snapped

"What?!" McDonnel gasped in shock.

"He went mad. He set the ship to secure closure, then he set the heat pulse to melt the controls," Aston explained.

"No way! He wouldn't do that!" McDonnell insisted.

"I saw it happen, Captain."

"Korwin? Korwin, open your eyes for me a second," the Doctor asked.

"I can't!" Korwin yelled in pain, still thrashing.

"Yeah, course you can. Go on," the Doctor encouraged gently.

"Don't make me look at you! Please!" Korwin begged.

I glanced around and noticed a sedative dart gun laying on a nearby tray. I quickly grabbed it. "Sedative?" I asked. I was pretty sure that's what it was, but always best make sure. Abi nodded. I pressed the gun to Korwin's neck and administered the sedative. Korwin gave a shout of pain, then collapsed.

The Doctor crossed his arms, staring at Korwin in confusion. "Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings...Stasis chamber." He nodded to the machine Korwin was lying in. "I do love a good stasis chamber. Keep him sedated in there. Regulate the body temperature." Abi gave him a questioning look, but obeyed.

"You should probably run a bio-scan and tissue profile on metabolic detail, just in case," I added.

"Just doing them now," Abi replied.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows, impressed. "Oh, you're good. Anyone else presenting these symptoms?" He asked.

Abi shook her head. "Not so far."

The Doctor sighed. "Well, that's something."

"Will someone tell me what is the matter with him?!" McDonnell demanded desperately, staring at her sleeping husband.

"Some sort of infection," the Doctor replied. "We'll know more after the test results. Now, Allons-y, back downstairs. Ay! See about those engines. Go." Ashton left, but McDonnell didn't move. "Ay! Go." Mcdonnell followed Ashton reluctantly. "Call us if there's news!" He told Abi. "Any questions?"

"Yeah," Abi scoffed. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor and this is Wonder!" With that, the Doctor grabbed my hand and followed after McDonnell and Ashton.

"Heat shields failing. At twenty-five percent. Impact in 32.50," the computer announced.

"You know, this kind of reminds me of our first trip with Rose," I told the Doctor as we headed back to the engine room.

"You mean Platform One?" He asked.

"Yeah."

The Doctor tilted his head thoughtfully. "You know, it kind of does."

"I just hope this one doesn't involve a trampoline made out of human skin." The Doctor chuckled.

The Doctor went over to the intercom as soon as we got back to the engine room. "Abi, how's Korwin doing? Any results from the bio-scan?" he asked. I decided to go help Ashton with the repairs.

" **He's under heavy sedation** ," Abi replied. " **I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll let you know.** "

"Martha? Riley? How're you doing?"

" **Area twenty-nine, at the door to twenty-eight!** " Martha answered.

"You've gotta move faster!" the Doctor urged, slipping on his glasses and examining the small screen above the intercom.

" **We're doing our best!** " Martha insisted.

"How's it coming?" The Doctor asked as he walked over to me.

"Making progress, but it's slow work," I told him, stripping one of the wires I was holding and handing it to Ashton. "Korwin certainly did a number on the engine. I just hope we can fix it in time."

"We will," he assured me.

" **Find the next number in the sequence: 313, 331, 367... What?** " We heard Riley say.

" **You said the crew knew all the answers,** " Martha reminded him, sounding worried.

" **The crew's changed since we set the questions.** "

" **You're joking...** " Martha groaned.

The Doctor rushed over to the intercom. "379!" he said quickly.

" **What?!** "

"It's a sequence of happy primes. 379," he repeated.

" **Happy what?** " Martha asked, still confused.

"Just enter it!" The Doctor snapped.

" **Are you sure? We only get one chance!** " Riley piped up.

The Doctor sighed in annoyance. "Any number which reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number. Any number that doesn't, isn't," he replied, speaking at his usual 100mph. "A happy prime is a number which is both happy and prime, now type it in!" He turned to McDonnell, who was climbing down a ladder behind him. "I dunno, talk about dumbing down! Don't they teach recreational mathematics any more?"

"Not everyone has the mental capabilities of a Time Lord, sweetie," I told him.

"Pity really."

" **We're through!** " Martha shouted triumphantly.

"Keep moving. Fast as you can," the Doctor urged her. He slipped off his glasses and lowered his voice. "And, Martha, be careful. There may be something else on board this ship."

" **Any time you wanna unnerve me, feel free!** " Martha replied sarcastically.

"Will do, thanks." I rolled my eyes with an amused smile. The Doctor switched off the comms and came back over.

" **Impact in 30. 50,** " the computer announced, reminding us all how little time there was left.

The Doctor picked up a piece of broken equipment and examined it. "We need a backup in case they don't reach the auxiliary engines in time," he said. "Come on! Think! Resources, what have we got?!"

" **Doctor?** " Martha called over the comms.

"What is it now?" He asked in annoyance. I shot him a stern look, but he ignored me.

" **Who had the most number ones, Elvis, or the Beatles? That's pre-download.** "

"Elvis," he replied confidently. "No! The Beatles! No! Wait! Um... um..." He groaned in frustration and smacked the back of his head a couple times. "Argh! What was that remix? Um... I don't know! I am a bit busy! Ask Wonder."

" **Wonder?** " Martha asked.

"I'm sorry, Martha, but I don't know," I told her. "I'm not a fan of either. Try calling your mother, she might know."

" **Fine,** " she said, sounding a bit put out.

"Now, where was I?" The Doctor wondered.

"Australia," I joked.

The Doctor smirked then shook his head to get himself back on track. "No, resources."

"Well, since there's still power, the generator must still be working," I mused.

The Doctor grinned. "Wonder, you're brilliant! If we can harness that..."

"Use the generator to jump-start the ship," McDonnell realized.

"Exactly! At the very least, it'll buy us some more time," the Doctor finished.

McDonnell looked at the Doctor and I, impressed. "That... is brilliant."

"I know!" The Doctor said cheerfully, his smile widening. "See! Tiny glimmer of hope!" The rest of the crew began smiling, relieved to know there was a way out.

"If it works," Scannell piped up.

"Oh, believe me. You're gonna make it work," McDonnell told him. Scannell walked off, looking dejected. Ashton, the Doctor, and I looked at McDonnell with respect, still smiling.

"That told him! The Doctor said.

" **Impact in 29.46** ," the computer announced.

My smile fell. "Thanks for ruining the moment," I grumbled irritably.

" **Doctor, these readings are starting to scare me,** " Abi said nervously over the intercom. Everyone looked up.

"What d'you mean?" The Doctor asked.

" **Well, Korwin's body's changing! His whole biological make-up, it... it's impossible,** " Abi gasped. The Doctor and I exchanged worried glances. That certainly didn't sound good. " **This is med-centre. Urgent assistance requested,** " Abi called, her voice rising in fear. " **Urgent assistance!** "

"Stay here! Keep working!" The Doctor shouted before taking off back towards the med center. McDonnell and I quickly followed after after him.

" **Burn with me,** " a deep voice suddenly called over the comms. " **Burn with me.** " The three of us skidded to a stop and glanced at each otherwise confused and worried looks.

I ran over to the nearest comm. "Abi, get out of there!" I yelled. The Doctor, McDonnell, and I turned around at the sound of footsteps. Scannell came running down the corridor.

"Captain?!" Scannell called.

"I told you to stay in engineering!" The Doctor shouted at him.

"I only take orders form one person round here," Scannell snapped.

"Oh, is he always this cheery?" the Doctor asked McDonnell irritably. We all took off running again.

" **Doctor, what was that voice?** " Martha asked over the comms.

"Concentrate on those doors! You've gotta keep moving forward!" The Doctor yelled back, not slowing down.

" **Impact in 27.06.** " We continued to run. Suddenly, Abi came bolting around the corner and ran straight into the Doctor. He quickly grabbed her arms to steady the terrified woman.

"Abi!" He said in surprise. "What happened?"

"It's Korwin," Abi replied breathlessly. "He-something-something happened to him."

"That voice, was that him?" I asked. Abi nodded, too scared to do anything else as she trembled in the Doctor's arms. I quickly stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her. "It's alright, you're safe now." I rubbed her back comfortingly. "You three go ahead, we'll meet you there," I told the Doctor. He nodded and he, McDonnell, and Scanner ran off. A couple minutes later, Abi had calmed down a bit, so she and I followed after the other three. When we got to the med center, the Doctor, McDonnell, and Scannell were looking around the room. I glanced around the room and noticed something, or rather someone, was missing. "Where's Korwin?" I asked.

"He's gone," the Doctor replied. "Left that behind though." He pointed to a charred part of the wall.

"Is that from endothermic vaporization?" I asked the Doctor in surprise. He nodded. I left Abi and walked over to the wall, running my fingers over the charred area. I stared at the black soot on my fingers. "That would've completely vaporized her!"

"That could have been Lerner?" Scannell asked in horror. I nodded.

"I've never seen one this ferocious," the Doctor commented. He frowned thoughtfully. "Burn with me."

"That's what we heard Korwin say," Scannell recalled.

"What?! D'you think... no way!" McDonnell exclaimed. "Scannell, tell him! Korwin is not a killer! He can't vaporize people! He's human!" I was about to reply when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Abi holding something.

"These are Korwin's bioscan results," she told me.

I took them from her. My eyes widened as I examined them. "Doctor...you need to see this."

The Doctor walked over and took the bioscan results from me. "Internal temperature, one hundred degrees! Body oxygen replaced by hydrogen!" He said in shock. "Your husband hasn't been infected, he's been overwhelmed!"

"The test results are wrong!" McDonnell snapped, snatching the bioscan results from him.

"I'm sorry, Captain..." Abi apologized quietly. "But it was Korwin. He-he tried to kill me." I wrapped an arm around her, rubbing her arms comfortingly.

"But what is it though?" The Doctor wondered. "Parasite? Mutagenic virus? Something that needs a host body. But how did it get inside him?!"

"Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment!" McDonnell shouted hysterically.

"Where's the ship been? Have you made planet-fall recently?" The Doctor pressed. McDonnell just stared at him with a blank expression. "Docked with any other vessels? Any kind of external contact at all?"

McDonnell glared at him. "What is this? An interrogation?!"

"We've got to stop him before he kills again."

"We're just... a cargo ship," the captain insisted. She turned away, looking distraught.

"Doctor, if you give her a minute..." Scannell said, trying to comfort his captain.

McDonnell turned back around. "I'm fine," she sighed. "I need to warn the crew." She walked over to the comms. "Everybody listen to me! Something has infected Korwin. We think..." She paused and glanced at Abi. "He tried to kill Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him, is that clear?"

" **Understood Captain,** " Ashton replied.

" **Impact in 24.51.** "

McDonnell sat on a set of stairs and Abi went to sit next to her. The Doctor and I poured over Korwin's bioscan, trying desperately to understand what happened to him. "Is the infection permanent?" McDonnell suddenly asked. The Doctor and I looked up from our research. "Can you cure him?"

"I dunno," the Doctor answered. In truth he did know. He knew as well as I did that whatever infected Korwin had completely taken over.

"Don't lie to me, Doctor," McDonnell snapped. "Eleven years we've been married. We chose this ship together. He keeps me honest. So I don't want false hope."

"The parasite's too aggressive," the Doctor admitted after a moment. "Your husband's gone. There's no way back. Sorry."

McDonnell nodded sadly, taking the news rather well. "Thank you," she said quietly. I gave her a sympathetic look. I would fall apart if I ever lost the Doctor.

The Doctor suddenly jumped to his feet and walked over to McDonnell. "Are you... certain nothing happened to provoke this? Nobody's working on anything secret, 'cause it's vital that you tell me."

"I know every inch of this ship. I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing," McDonnell insisted.

"Then why is this thing so interested in you?" The Doctor asked, staring at the captain harshly.

"I wish I knew..." She sighed, shaking her head in defeat.

" **Doctor, Wonder, we're through to area 17,** " Martha announced, taking our attention off McDonnell for the moment.

"Keep going. You've got to get to area one and reboot those engines," the Doctor told her.

" **Heat shield failing. At twenty percent.** " I glanced at the ceiling, subconsciously placing a hand on my stomach. I was really beginning to worry.

"Hey, you alright?" The Doctor asked, causing me to jump slightly.

I nodded. "I'm fine." He cocked an eyebrow skeptically. I closed my eyes with a sigh. "Okay, I'm not fine. I'm scared. Scared that we won't figure this out in time."

The Doctor cupped my cheek. "I know, love. But we will figure this out," he assured me, rubbing his thumb over my cheek. "Just like we always do."

"Yes, but we usually cut it rather close," I pointed out with a small smile.

"We still have plenty of time then," he replied, kissing my forehead. "Now, come one, we need to find out how Ashton's coming along with those engines." He grabbed my hand and jogged out of the back towards engineering.

We arrived back in engineering, McDonnell and Scanner in tow, Abi having decided to stay in the med bay. The Doctor slipped on his glasses and started inspecting one of the machines. " **Doctor! We're stuck in an escape pod off the area seventeen airlock,** " Martha shouted frantically. The Doctor and I looked up, listening intently. " **One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've gotta help us!** "

"Why is this happening?" McDonnell asked in despair.

"Stay here!" The Doctor yelled as he ran off, completely ignoring her question. "I mean it this time! Jump start those engines!" I quickly ran after him, determined to help save our friend. We ran full pelt down the corridor, hoping that we would reach Martha on time. Finally, we made it to Area 17 to find Ashton trying to get into the escape pod. He was wearing some type of welding helmet. "That's enough!" The Doctor shouted, causing Ashton to look at him. "What do you want? Why this ship? Tell me!" Instead of answering him, Ashton smashed his fist into the keypad.

"No!" I screamed. I made to run out from behind the Doctor, but he held out an arm to stop me.

"Come on. Let's see you," he urged Ashton, never taking his eyes off him. Ashton approached us and I took an involuntary step back. "I wanna know what you really are..." Ashton lifted his hand to his visor. I stood frozen, afraid of what would happen if Ashton lifted his visor. Fortunately, before Ashton could raise his visor, he double over with a cry of pain, backing away from us. However, he stood straight a few seconds later. He stormed towards us, but instead of resuming his attack, he just went right past, bumping into the Doctor's shoulder as he did. The Doctor ran over to the nearest comm unit while I ran for the keypad controlling the escape pod. "McDonnell! Ashton's heading in your direction! He's been infected, just like Korwin!"

" **Korwin's dead, Doctor,** " I heard Scanner report. I tried a few buttons, but quickly gave up. Ashton had ruined the keypad.

" **Airlock decompression completed,** " the computer announced and the screen read 'disengaging'. " **Jettisoning pod.** " I scrambled to the small window to see into the airlock. The Doctor hurried over. We could both see Martha at the window of he escape pod.

"Martha!" I yelled, though I knew she couldn't hear me.

Her face lit up when she saw us. "Doctor! Wonder!" We saw her mouth.

"We'll save you!" The Doctor shouted.

"Doctor!" Martha repeated, tapping on the window.

"We'll save you!" The pod disengaged and the Doctor continued to mouth to her as we watched her get smaller and smaller. I stared at the rapidly shrinking pod. No! It couldn't end like this!

"Doctor, we have to do something! There must be something we can do!" I said desperately, tears in my eyes at the thought of loosing another companion. The Doctor didn't answer. He stood stock still, but I could tell the gears in his head were turning at full speed, trying to come up with an idea. Suddenly, he stormed over to the comms.

"Scannell! I need a spacesuit in area 17, now!" he shouted.

" **What for?** " Scannell asked in confusion.

"Just get down here!" The Doctor stalked over to the airlock door and stared out.

"Doctor, what are you planning?" I asked him, but he didn't answer. I walked over and placed a hand on his arm. "Theta?" He looked down at me and I could see the Oncoming Storm ready to surface. "What are you planning to do?"

"I can't let you do this," Scannell protested as the Doctor finished putting on the spacesuit.

"Don't bother, Scannell," I told him as I helped the Doctor. "I already tried and if he didn't listen to his wife, he's not going to listen to you." I had spent most of the time we were waiting for Scannell arguing with him. It was only halfhearted though. I wanted Martha back as much as he did and I could see no other way to do so.

"She's right. You're not going to stop me," the Doctor said firmly.

"You wanna open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun. No-one can survive that!" Scannell exclaimed.

"Oh, just you watch," the Doctor replied confidently.

"You open that airlock, it's suicide. This close to the sun, the shields will barely protect you," Scannell pointed out.

"If I can breach the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should remagnetise the pod," the Doctor informed him. "Now, while I'm out there, you have got to get the rest of those doors open. We need those auxiliary engines."

"Doctor, will you listen! They're too far away, it's too late!" Scannell told him.

"I'm not gonna lose her," the Doctor declared firmly.

Before The Doctor could put his helmet on, I grabbed his face and pulled him down for a quick kiss. "For good luck," I told him. "Now go save our companion." He smiled and nodded then put his helmet on. He went over to the airlock door which opened for him.

" **Decompression, initiating,** " the computer announced. " **Impact in 12. 55. Heat shield failing. At ten percent.** " Scannell ran engineering while I watched nervously as the Doctor opened the exterior door. He recoiled slightly from the intense heat, but recovered quickly. He clambered out onto the outer hull of the ship, almost being swept away a couple of times. I stood, watching helplessly at he tried to do his job.

"Doctor! How're you doing?" I asked him over his personal comm.

" **I can't! I can't reach!** " He replied in a strained voice. " **I don't know how much longer I can last!** "

"You can do it, Doctor!" I encouraged him. "I believe in you." Another tense moment went by before the keypad read 'magnetizing'. "You did it!" I exclaimed happily. I watched, received as he clambered back into the airlock. He struggled to his knees, looking back at the sun.

" **It's alive...** " He suddenly whispered.

I blinked in confusion. "Doctor?"

" **It's alive?...It's alive!** " He said in realization.

"Doctor, what's going on! You need to close the airlock!"

" **Impact in. 8.57,** " the computer warned. The Doctor finally closed the airlock and removed his helmet. I watched him anxiously through the small window. Something was wrong. He was still on his knees, his eyes clamped tightly shut. " **Airlock recompression completed.** " The door to the airlock opened and the Doctor literally fell out.

"Doctor!" I cried in concern. I reached down to help him up as Martha and Riley came running around the corner.

"Doctor! Wonder!" Martha yelled as she spotted us. "Are you ok?"

"Doctor what's wrong?" I asked him worriedly as I helped him sit up. He opened his eyes slightly, revealing a harsh golden glow. I gasped in horror.

"Stay away from me!" He growled, jerking out of my grip. He closed his eyes again, writhing in pain. Martha obeyed, but I stayed next to him.

McDonnell came running up. "What's happened?" She asked.

"It's your fault, Captain McDonnell!" The Doctor snarled.

McDonnell looked shocked for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. "Riley! Get down to area 10 and help Scannell with the doors. Go!" Riley nodded and ran off.

"Doctor, what do you mean it was her fault?" I asked him in confusion.

"You mined that sun! Stripped its surface for cheap fuel!" The Doctor yelled in a strained voice. "You should have scanned for life!"

"I don't understand," McDonnell said, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Doctor, what are you talking about?!" Martha inquired.

"That sun is alive! A living organism!" He replied through gritted teeth as he tried to fight the pain. "They scooped out its heart, used it for fuel, and now it's screaming!"

"What do you mean? How can a sun be alive? Why's he saying that?!" McDonnell asked, panicking.

My eyes widened as I put the pieces together. "Because it's living in him." The Doctor nodded painfully. I gazed at him sadly and reached out a hand to stroke his face. "Oh, Doctor."

"Oh my gosh..." McDonnell gasped, clasping her hands to her mouth as she finally realized what she had done.

"Humans! You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry!" The Doctor yelled angrily. He screamed in agony. "You should have scanned!"

"It takes too long! We'd be caught! Fusion scoops are illegal." McDonnell protested, trying to justify her actions.

"Yeah, well, your actions have cost you nearly half your crew!" I shouted at her. I grabbed one of the Doctor's arms and tugged him to his feet. "Come on, we need to freeze it out of him."

"What?!" Martha gasped.

"It's the only way he'll survive," I told her. "We have to put him in the stasis chamber and keep him below minus 200." The Doctor screamed again, causing me to wince slightly as his mental barriers keeping me from feeling his pain began to collapse. I quickly strengthened my mental barriers.

Are you sure?" Martha asked in concern.

"It'll use me to kill you if you don't!" The Doctor told her in a strained voice, struggling to hold back the sun.

"Don't talk, just focus on holding it back," I urged him. "He's right, though. The closer we get to the sun, the stronger gets. We need to get him to the med-center now!" Martha nodded, rushing over to grab the Doctor's other arm. Together we half carried, half dragged him through the corridor to the med-center. We burst into the med-center, startling Abi.

"Oh my gosh!" She gasped, running over to help. "What happened?!"

"He's infected," I told her, struggling to hold up the Doctor as he fluid and cried out in pain. "I need you to help Martha get him into the stasis chamber."

"What for?" She asked in confusion as she took the Doctor from me.

"We need to freeze the sun out of him." I ran over to the stasis chamber and started to punch in the numbers.

"Wonder, where are you?!" The Doctor cried out, reaching out for me blindly.

I rushed back over to him. "I'm here, sweetheart," I assured him, grabbing his hand.

"I'll get the stasis chamber," Martha said and I nodded.

"No, you don't know how this equipment works!" McDonnell protested. "You'll kill him! Nobody can survive those temperatures!"

"We're not human," I informed her. "We can survive much lower temps."

"Let me help you then!" She pleaded, stepping forward.

"You've done enough damage," I snarled, still angry at the woman.

"Martha, I'll take care of it," Abi said, moving over to the stasis chamber controls. Martha nodded and came back over to help me get the Doctor into the chamber.

"He'll only be able to take ten seconds," I told Abi.

"Wonder?" The Doctor called as Martha and I placed him inn the chamber.

"Yes?"

He gurgled and retched and I had to try very hard not to cry. "It's burning me up. I can't control it. If you don't get rid of it, I could kill you. I could kill you all," he growled, his voice deepening momentarily as he began loosing control. He cried out again. "I'm scared! I'm so scared!" He whimpered, sounding absolutely terrified.

My lip quivered as I tried to keep myself together for him. I grabbed his hand tightly. "I know, sweetheart. I know, but you have to stay strong."

"It's bloody killing me! Then what'll happen?!" He cried desperately.

"Nothing, because that's not going to happen," I told him firmly. "I'm not going to loose you."

"It's ready," Martha announced.

"You ready?" I asked the Doctor.

"No!" He cried. I nodded to Abi and she pushed the lever the slid the Doctor into the stasis chamber. I held onto his hand the whole time, silently assuring him I was still there. Abi set the temperature and pressed the start button. I closed my eyes, fighting back tears as the Doctor screamed in agony. The temperature had only dropped to minus 70 when the stasis chamber shut down. I looked up in alarm.

"No! Martha you can't stop it! Not yet!" The Doctor yelled. His entire body was covered in ice crystals.

"What's happened?!" Martha asked.

"Power's been cut in engineering," McDonnell said.

"Who's down there?" I asked.

"Leave it to me," McDonnell replied. She ran off. I turned back to the Doctor as he screamed again.

" **Impact in 4.47.** "

"We've got to get this working again," I said, letting go of the Doctor's hand and moving over to the controls. "We can't let him defrost."

"Wonder! Martha! Listen!" The Doctor cried. "I've only got a moment. You've gotta go!"

"No way!" Martha protested.

"I'm not leaving you!" I told him.

"Get to the front! Vent the engines!" He continued. "Sun particles in the fuel! Get rid of them!"

"Martha, Abi, you two go vent the engines. I'll stay here," I said.

"We can't just leave you here to deal with him on your own!" Martha protested.

"You have to get to the engines and give back what they took. Now go!"

Martha didn't look to happy, but she nodded. "I'll be back for you." She and Abi ran out of the med-center.

"Impact in 3.43." I turned around as I heard something hit the floor. The Doctor had managed to get out of the stasis chamber. I rushed over to him as he cried out in pain and wrapped my arms around him. "Survival element protection. Zero percent."

"Hang in there, Theta," I whispered to him.

"Aryia, please, you have to go," the Doctor pleaded. "I can't hold it back much longer."

"I'm not leaving you to deal with this by yourself," I told him firmly.

"I'll kill you if you don't go!"

My hearts nearly broke at the pure emotion in his voice. "I promised you in sickness as well as in health, Theta. I'm not going anywhere."

"Aryia, you have to think of our baby," he reminded me. "Please, go!"

"If I leave you, you won't stand a chance!" I told him, my voice cracking.

"I can't fight it. You have to go or..." He stopped and opened his eyes. I shot to my feet and backed up out of the way of his glowing eyes. "Burn with me. Burn with me, Wonder!" My eyes widened and I bolted from the room.

" **Impact in 1.06.** "

"Martha, hurry!" I shouted as I jogged down the corridor. Suddenly, the ship lurched, throwing me to the ground.

" **Impact averted. Impact averted.** " I grinned when I realized Martha had done it. Scrambling to my feet, I ran back the way I had come. I found the Doctor, sprawled on his back just outside the med-center. He struggled to sit up as I ran up to him. I threw my arms around his neck, causing him to fall back on the floor again with a grunt. I pulled back just enough to smash my lips on his in a passionate kiss. He responded eagerly, despite his exhausted state.

I pulled back and rested our foreheads together. "I was afraid I'd lost you," I whispered.

"Never," he whispered back. I smiled and got off him, holding out my hand. He smiled back and took it and I pulled him to his feet.

"Doctor!" Martha called happily as she came running around the corner. She threw her arms around the Doctor's neck. He hugged her tightly, lifting her off her feet as all three of us giggled in relief.

Later the three of us along with Abi, Scannell, and Riley stood in front of the TARDIS.

"This is never your ship!" Scannell exclaimed in disbelief, staring at the blue box.

"Compact! Eh!" The Doctor said happily, patting the blue box affectionately. "And another good word, robust! Barely a scorch mark on her."

"We can't just leave them drifting with no fuel," Martha protested.

"We've sent out an official mayday. The authorities will pick us up soon enough," Riley assured her.

"Though how we explain what happened..." Scannell trailed off helplessly.

"Just tell them. That sun needs care and protection, just like any other living thing," I told them. The Doctor opened the TARDIS door and we stepped inside. He immediately went over to the console and started messing with the switches. We stood in silence until Martha joined us.

"So! Didn't really need you in the end, did we?!" She said cheerfully, skipping up the ramp. The Doctor and I didn't answer and her smiled faded. "Sorry. How're you doing?"

"Now! What do you say? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Cuhlhan. Fancy it?" The Doctor asked, avoiding Martha's question.

"Whatever you like," Martha shrugged unenthusiastically.

The Doctor and I glanced and each other and I nodded. "By the way, you'll be needing this," he said, pulling a TARDIS key on a chain out of his pocket.

Martha gasped. "Really?!"

"Frequent Flier's Privilege," he replied, dropping the key into her hand. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." He gave her a weak smile and went back to tinkering with the TARDIS.

"Oh no! Mum!" she gasped, quickly pulling out her phone.

I walked over to the Doctor as Martha talked to her mother. "You ok?" I asked, placing a hand on his arm.

He looked at me and gave me a soft smile. "I'll be fine. I've still got you." I smiled back and stood on my toes to kiss him.

"I don't know about you, but ice skating on Cuhlhan sounded good," I told him, linking my arms around his neck. He chuckled before reaching over and pulling a lever.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? As always, I appreciate your feedback. I hope to get the next chapter up sooner since I will have a lot more time with Christmas break and all. Anyway, till next time and Merry Christmas!**


	38. Human Nature

**Hello readers! I'm proud to announce I finished the next chapter. Unfortunately, my beta reader is no longer able to look over my chapters, so this chapter might not flow as nicely as the few previous ones. If any of you are want to be my new beta reader, please pm me. Also, if there are any artists who are willing or want to sketch Elena/Wonder please let me know. I would love to have a sketch of her to put on my pinterest board. anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

"Wait up, Aryia!" A teenage, brown haired boy gasped as he ran up a hill after his friend.

"Keep up then, Theta!" The teenage girl called back, not slowing down in her pace. She bounded up the last few feet and placed her fists on her hips with a satisfied grin. "I win!" She shouted triumphantly.

"No fair!" Theta complained as he finally reached the top, gasping for breath.

"You had a head start."

"Yeah, well your legs are longer than mine," Aryia shot back. "I would've thought that would have been used to loosing by now. I've only won every time the past 6 years." Theta groaned in reply and flopped onto the ground, causing Aryia to giggle. While he caught his breath, Aryia gazed out at the valley below, her long, blonde hair flowing lazily in the soft breeze. She turned and sat down next to Theta. "Have you told your parents about us?" She asked him.

Theta shook his head, staring pointedly at the sky. "I haven't found the right time."

Aryia looked down at her, as the humans would say, boyfriend. "Theta, you need to tell them."

"Have you told your dad?" He asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

"No," Aryia admitted. "But you know my dad, he could care less who I choose as my mate. In fact, I think he'd be surprised if I told him I actually managed to find someone that even wants to be my mate."

"It might help if you weren't always covered in dirt," Theta teased.

Aryia shrugged nonchalantly. "What can I say, I like spending time with the TARDISes." She leaned back on one elbow, placing a hand on Theta's. "You really do need to tell your parents soon, though, otherwise they'll pick out someone for you."

Theta sighed. "I know. I'll tell them soon."

"Promise?" He smiled, lifting a hand to cup her cheek.

"Promise." Aryia smiled back and closed the distance between them.

I opened my eyes. I stared at the white ceiling as my dream started to fade. These dreams of mine were becoming more frequent. I sighed, tiredly running my hands over my face. I heard a noise and turned to my left. My husband, John was twitching and groaning quietly in his sleep. "John. John," I called softly, gently shaking his shoulder. He opened his eyes with a gasp. He blinked a few times in confusion as his eyes focused. "Another dream?" I asked.

"Yeah," he replied, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. We both looked up at the sound of a knock on our bedroom door. "Come in," he called, getting out of bed and grabbing his dressing gown.

Martha, our maid entered the room, wearing her usual uniform and carrying a breakfast tray. She stopped in her tracks when she saw that John and I were still in our night things. "Pardon me, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, you're not dressed yet. I can come back later," she said, quickly turning to leave.

"Nonsense," I told her with a kind smile. "We're not going to make you go all the way to the kitchen. Just put it on the table." I groaned slightly and placed a hand on my round belly as I turned in the bed so I could put my feet on the floor. I was currently seven months pregnant and it was getting a bit difficult to do certain things, such as getting out of bed. "John, a little help?"

"Here," John said, offering me a hand. I smiled appreciatively and took it. He gently pulled me to my feet and helped me put on my dressing gown. I waddled over to the tray Martha had put down and picked up a strawberry. I happily munched on my strawberry as John watched Martha thoughtfully while she puttered about the room.

"John, it's not polite to stare," I scolded lightly, though I knew why he was watching her.

"I was, um..." He stuttered, blushing slightly in embarrassment. "Sorry, sorry. It's just that sometimes I have these extraordinary dreams."

"What about, sir?" Martha asked, crossing the room to open the curtains.

"I dream I'm this..." He paused, searching for the right word. "Adventurer. This... daredevil, a madman. 'The Doctor', I'm called. And Elena is always there as my wife, but she's called 'Wonder'. And last night I dreamt that you were there, as my... companion."

"A teacher, librarian, and a housemaid, sir? That's impossible," Martha scoffed.

"Ah no, a man from another world, though..." John pointed out.

"Well it can't be true because there's no such thing."

John wandered over to the fireplace. "This thing..." He mumbled, picking up a fob watch that sat on the mantle. "The watch..." I watched him, absentmindedly fingering the chain to the fob watch that hung around my neck. There was something about them, but I couldn't put my finger on it. John shook his head and put the watch back. "Ah, it's funny how dreams slip away." He turned back to Martha. "But I do remember one thing, it all took place in the future. In the year of Our Lord two thousand and seven."

"I can prove that wrong for you sir, here's the morning paper," Martha said, handing John the newspaper. "It's Monday, November tenth, nineteen thirteen, and you're completely human, sir. As human as they come."

"Mmm, that's me; completely human," John mumbled absentmindedly as he read the paper.

After we had eaten breakfast and gotten dressed, John kissed me goodbye and headed off to teach and I made my way to the library. John had been hired as the new history teacher only a couple months ago. He had been very worried about leaving me behind to deal with my pregnancy on my own so he had managed to get me a job as the librarian. I actually really liked the job. It wasn't very demanding and I got to be around books all day. I also read to some of the younger boys once in a while. As one of the few women in the boarding school, I had become a bit of a mother figure to a lot of the boys and often comforted them when they were feeling homesick. Once lunch time rolled around, I left the library to go eat lunch with John. As I walked down the corridor, I spotted Baines and Hutchinson, two of the older boys, approaching Martha and another of the maids, Jenny as they cleaned the floor.

"Ah, now then, you two," Baines said, addressing the two maids with an authoritative tone. I paused to watch the exchange. Martha and Jenny stopped laughing and looked up. "You're not paid to have fun, are you. Put a little backbone into it."

"Yes Sir, sorry, Sir," Jenny apologized, scrubbing the floor a bit harder.

"You there, what's your name again?" Hutchinson asked Martha.

"Martha, Sir. Martha Jones," she replied.

"Tell me then, Jones. With hands like those, how can you tell when something's clean?" Hutchinson inquired, smirking.

"You know, there's a saying that you can learn a lot about someone based on how they treat those they deem lower than themselves," I said, making my presence known as I approached to two boys. "What do you think others would think of you if they saw how you treated these two hard working young women?" The boys didn't reply. I sighed in disappointment. "If you plan to run the country someday, you need to learn to respect others, no matter their station. Do I make myself clear." They nodded. "Good. Now run along before your late for your next class." The boys jogged off down the corridor and I turned to the two maids. "Sorry about them."

"You didn't need to do that, Mrs. Smith," Jenny told me.

"I wasn't going to stand and watch those boys insult you," I replied. "Just because you two are maids, that doesn't mean you deserve to be treated any less than anyone else." The two women smiled gratefully at me. "Martha, have you seen John?"

"Yeah, he just went by a couple minutes ago," the maid answered.

I nodded. "Thank you." I walked off up the stairs towards John and I's room. John and I ate lunch together and then we went our separate ways again. A couple hours later, I was busy placing a few books back on the respective shelves when Martha came running into the library. "Martha!" I exclaimed in surprise. "Is something wrong?"

"Mr. Smith just fell down a flight of stairs," she told me, slightly breathless. I quickly set down the books I was holding and rushed off, Martha close behind. We burst into John's study to see him sitting in a chair with the Matron, Joan, checking the back of his head. "Is he alright?" Martha asked in concern.

"Excuse me, Martha. It's hardly good form to enter a master's study without knocking," the Matron scolded.

"It's quite alright, Matron, she's with me," I said, absentmindedly as I walked over to my husband. "John, can't I leave you alone for than a few hours without you hurting yourself?" I sighed.

"I'm fine, Elena," John assured me. "It's just a bump."

"Have you checked for concussion?" Martha asked Joan.

"I have. And I daresay I know a lot more about it than you," Joan snapped back, a bit annoyed at Martha's boldness.

"Matron, I would appreciate if you didn't speak to my maid like that," I told Joan sternly. She was a sweet woman and a good friend, but I didn't like anyone talking down to Martha simply because she was a maid.

"No, it's fine," Martha spoke quickly. "I'll just...Tidy your things." She began to busy herself with the various things around the room.

"I was just telling Matron, um, about my dreams," John spoke up, breaking the tense silence. "They are quite remarkable tales. I keep imagining that Elena and I are someone else, and that we're hiding..."

"Hiding? In what way?" Joan asked curiously.

"Um... er... almost every night..." John chuckled. "This is going to sound silly..."

"Tell me," Joan encouraged.

"I dream, quite often, that I have two hearts."

"Well then, I can be the judge of that." Joan pulled out a stethoscope and placed it against the left side of John's chest. She moved it over to the right side. "I can confirm the diagnosis, just one heart, singular."

"Well, I could have told you that," I chuckled.

John wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me into his lap. "It's more than enough to love you though," he told me, kissing my cheek. "I have written down some of these dreams in the form of fiction... um... not that it would be of any interest," he continued.

"I'd be very interested," Joan said. John smiled and carefully stood up, placing me in his chair. He walked over and grabbed his leather-bound journal from his desk.

"Well... I've never shown it to anyone other than Elena before," John said sheepishly, handing Joan the journal.

"Journal of Impossible Things," Joan read. She flipped through the pages. Each page was covered in writing and various sketches. "Just look at these creatures!" she gasped, flipping through a few pages with strange creatures. "Such imagination."

"It's become quite a hobby for him," I commented.

"It's wonderful," Joan complimented. "And quite an eye for the pretty girls." She indicated a sketch of a young woman.

"Oh no no, she's just an invention. This character, Rose, I call her, Rose," John explained. His eyes glazed over thoughtfully. "Seems to disappear later on..." I felt a twinge of sadness at the name, though I was unsure why. Joan turned another page with a sketch of me. "That's the Doctor's wife, Wonder," John explained. "She's his voice of reason."

"Well, someone has to keep him in line," I piped up. Joan smiled in amusement and flipped to another page with a sketch of a police box. I smiled slightly. I had seen that sketch many times and there was something comforting about it.

"Ah, that's the box, the blue box, it's always there. Like a...oh how did you describe it, Elena?" John asked.

"Like a magic carpet," I supplied. "Transports you to far away places."

"Like a doorway?" Joan asked.

John nodded. "Mmm." Joan turned the page again, this one was covered in the faces of nine different men along with four different women. "I sometimes think how magical life would be if things like this were true."

"If only," I sighed.

"It's just a dream," John said, giving a short, quiet laugh.

Once classes had finished for the day, John seemed a little worn out. I urged him to go to the pub for a drink to relieve some stress. He protested, saying he didn't want to leave me alone, but I insisted I would be fine. I occupied myself for the next couple of hours by knitting. I wanted to have a warm blanket for my baby when he or she was born. I noticed a flash a green light from the corner of my eye and stood up, with difficulty, and wandered over to the window. I watched in fascination as a bright green light flew across the sky and over the woods beyond the school. John came back a short while later. "Did you see that green light earlier?" I asked as he came over and pressed a kiss to my head.

"You mean the meteorite?"

I shrugged. "If you want to get technical."

John smiled. "Yes, I did. Beautiful sight."

"Yes, it was," I agreed.

"Not as beautiful as you of course," John added, pressing another kiss to my head. He reached down and took a hold of my hands, pulling me to my feet. "Come on. Time for bed." He helped me change into my night dress and then changed into his own night clothes. As we climbed into bed, he gently pulled me to his chest and placed a hand on my swollen belly. I let out a contented sigh as sleep claimed me.

 **Third POV**

The next day, Martha decided to visit the TARDIS. She rode her bike to the old barn where the TARDIS had been hidden. She smiled as she entered the barn and spotted the familiar blue box. She pulled out the chain around her neck and unlocked the door. "Hello," she greeted the dark console room. She shook her head. "I'm talking to a machine..." Martha sighed and glanced up at the dormant time rotor.

 _Flashback_

The Doctor, Martha, and I ran into the TARDIS. "Look out!" The Doctor yelled. Martha dove to the floor just as a bolt flashed past and hit the console, causing sparks to fly. Wonder leaned against the console with a hand pressed to her round stomach, breathing heavily. The Doctor grabbed Martha's arms. "Did they see you?" He asked urgently.

"I don't know!" Martha told him.

"Did they see you?" The Doctor pressed.

Martha shook her head helplessly. "I don't know, I was too busy running!"

"Martha, it's important... Did they see your face?"

"No, they couldn't have!"

The Doctor nodded in satisfaction and ran around the console, setting the controls. "Off we go!" The Doctor and Wonder watched the time rotor intently. Suddenly, a warning beep sounded. "Ahhh!" The Doctor growled in annoyance. "Wonder, what's going on?"

Wonder examined the monitor. "They're following us," she announced.

"How can they do that, you've got a time machine," Martha said.

"Stolen technology, they've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator," the Doctor explained, working some of the controls. "They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe...they're never going to stop." He ran a hand through his hair nervously. "Unless..." he paused.

Wonder glanced at him, seeming to know what he was thinking. "You sure?" She asked in concern.

"There has to be option." The Doctor shook his head. "There's no other way, Wonder, I'm sorry. We'll have to do it..." He looked to Martha. "Martha, you trust us don't you?"

"Of course I do," Martha replied.

"Cause it all depends on you." The Doctor dove under the console, looking for something.

"What does, what am I supposed to do?" Martha asked, frowning in confusion.

The Doctor popped back up, holding two ornate watches. "Take these watches, 'cause our lives depend on them. These watches, Martha, these watches are us."

Martha nodded, though she still looked puzzled. "... Right, okay, gotcha... No, hold on! Completely lost!"

"Those creatures are hunters, they can sniff out anyone," Wonder explained as the Doctor dashed about the console. "Since the Doctor and I are Time Lords they will be able to track us no matter where we go."

"And the good news is?" Martha asked with a contemptuous laugh.

"They can smell us, they haven't seen us," the Doctor said. "And their life's bound to be running out, so, we hide, wait for them to die."

"But they can track us down," Martha pointed out.

The Doctor gave her a forlorn look. "That's why Wonder and I've got to do it. We have to stop being Time Lords. We're gonna become human."

 _Short time skip_

The Doctor pulled down two helmets from the ceiling. "Never thought I'd use these. All the times I've wondered."

"What do they do?" Martha asked.

"Chameleon Arch," Wonder explained, looking at the machines apprehensively. "It will re-write our biology. Literally changes every single cell in our bodies."

The Doctor took the pocket watches from Martha and handed the smaller one to Wonder. "Now, the TARDIS will take care of everything," he told Martha as he and Wonder put the watches into a special slot on each of the headsets. "Invent a life story for us, find us a setting and integrate us. Can't do the same for you... you'll just have to improvise. We should have just enough residual awareness to let you in."

"But... hold on, if you're going to rewrite every single cell, isn't it going to hurt?" Martha asked in concern.

The Doctor nodded. "Oh yeah. It hurts."

"What will happen to the baby?"

"The baby's conscience will be collected with mine," Wonder told her. "Normally, fob watches only have enough space for one Time Lord, but the baby's conscience won't take much room, so it should be fine."

"Should be," Martha scoffed. "Not exactly reassuring." Wonder shrugged apologetically and lowered the headset.

 _End Flashback_

Martha walked over to console and activated a few of the controls. The monitor fizzed to life, showing the Doctor. "This working?" He asked, tapping the camera.

"Don't tap the camera," Wonder scolded from somewhere off camera.

"Sorry," the Doctor apologized. "Anyway, Martha, before Wonder and I change here's a list of instructions for when I'm human. One, don't let me hurt anyone. We can't have that, but you know what humans are like. You won't have to worry about Wonder, though."

"Just because I'm pregnant, doesn't mean I can't hurt someone," Wonder said flatly as she waddled past holding a list.

The Doctor shook his head. "Just ignore her. Two, don't worry about the TARDIS, I'll put it on emergency power so they can't detect it, just let it hide away. Four- no, wait a minute, three. No getting involved in big historical events. Four, you. Don't let me abandon you. And fi-" The Doctor was cut off as Martha fast forwarded the video.

"But there was a meteor, a shooting star, what am I supposed to do then?" Martha asked the video Doctor.

"And twenty three," the Doctor continue as Martha stoped fast forwarding, Wonder now standing behind him. "If anything goes wrong, if they find us, Martha, then you know what to do. Open the watches. Everything we are is kept safe in them."

"Now, we've put a perception filter on it so the human us won't think anything of it, to them they're just watches," Wonder explained.

"But don't open them unless you have to," the Doctor added. "Because once they're open, then the Family will be able to find us. It's all down to you, Martha. Your choice." The Doctor made to leave, but paused and turned back to the screen. "Oh, and, thank you."

"Good luck, Martha," Wonder said, smiling sadly.

The screen went dark and Martha stood, staring forlornly at the screen. "I wish you'd come back," she sighed.

 **Elena's POV**

"John, what did you do with my book?" I asked, opening a drawer on his desk.

"It was on the side table the last time I looked," John answered from his library.

I went over to the side table by one of the chairs and looked under a pile of papers waiting to be graded. "Found it," I announced, grabbing my book. "What did I tell you about leaving your papers everywhere? You have a desk for a reason."

"Sorry, Elena," John apologized, coming out of the library. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I waddled over and lowered myself into one of the chairs by the fire. I looked up when I heard a knock at the door. John opened the door to reveal young Timothy Latimer.

"You told me to come and collect that book, Sir," Timothy said.

"Good lad, yes... yes! 'The Definitive Account of Mafeking' by Aitchison-Price, where did I put it?" John wondered. He wandered over to his desk, Timothy following.

"Hello, Timothy," I greeted.

"Afternoon, Mrs. Smith," Timothy greeted back.

"Oh, and I wanted a little word, your marks aren't quite good enough," John added, searching through his desk.

"I'm top ten in my class, sir," Timothy protested.

"Now, be honest, Timothy," John scolded gently. "You should be the very top. You're a clever boy, but you seem to be hiding it." He continued to search through his desk. "Where is that book..."

"I believe it's in the library where it should be," I told him, without looking up from my book.

John closed his desk drawers and went back into his library. "And I know why," he continued. "Keeping your head low avoids the mockery of your classmates. But no man should hide himself, don't you think?"

"Yes sir..." Timothy answered absentmindedly.

"You're clever, be proud of it. Use it," John told Timothy. "Where is it?"

I sighed and got to my feet with a grunt. "Second book shelf, fifth shelf from the top," I told John as I waddled into the library. I stood on my toes and pulled out the book, handing it to John with a smug smile.

"Thank you," John said, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead. He walked back over to Timothy, who looked slightly startled. "Fascinating details about the siege, really quite remarkable, are you alright?"

Timothy nodded. "Yes Sir. Fine, Sir."

"Right then. Good. And remember, use that brain of yours!" John held the book out to Timothy. Timothy reached out to take the book, causing his and John's fingers to touch. As soon as they did, Timothy blinked and looked up at John, visibly shaken.

"Timothy, you sure you're alright?" I asked gently, giving him a concerned look. "Anything bothering you?"

Timothy shook his head, still looking shocked. "No ma'am... Thank you, Sir." He quickly left, closing the door behind him. John and I looked at each other, confused by Timothy's strange actions.

The next day, John was directing his students as they fired machine guns at a set of straw dummies. I was sitting on a bench, once again reading. I never liked when the boys had target practice. It just didn't seem right to me to teach young boys how to kill. "Concentrate," John urged his students. I glanced up and noticed Joan standing in the doorway to the school. I jumped slightly as the boys fired again. "Hutchinson, excellent work!"

"Cease fire!" The Headmaster ordered as he came out of the school.

"Good day to you, Headmaster," John greeted.

"Your crew's on fine form today, Mr Smith," the Headmaster complimented.

"Excuse me, Headmaster, we could do a lot better," Hutchinson said. "Latimer is being deliberately shoddy." I narrowed my eyes at Hutchinson.

"I'm trying my best," Timothy protested.

"You need to be better than the best," the Headmaster said. "Those targets are tribesmen from the dark continent."

"That's exactly the problem, sir. They only have spears," Timothy pointed out.

"Oh dear me," the Headmaster sighed. "Latimer takes it upon himself to make us realize how wrong we all are. I hope, Latimer, that one day you may have a just and proper war in which to prove yourself. Now, resume firing." Hutchinson began firing again as Timothy fed the ammunition. Suddenly, the gun stopped firing.

"There's a stoppage, immediate action," Hutchinson announced. "Didn't I tell you, Sir, this stupid boy is useless! Permission to give Latimer a beating, Sir?"

"It's your class, Mr Smith," the Headmaster said. I looked to John, hoping he wouldn't agree.

"Permission granted," John decided. I closed my eyes with a frustrated sigh. If that was John's way of trying to toughen Timothy up, he was going about it the right way.

"Right, come with me, you little oiyk," Hutchinson growled, grabbing Timothy's wrist.

"Actually, I was hoping that Timothy would help me organize one of the library shelves on my next shift," I said, waddling over to stand beside John. "Someone saw fit to pull nearly every book off the shelf and it would take a few days for me to organize it by myself." I gave John a pointed look.

John nodded. "Alright then."

"Come along, Timothy," I called. Timothy yanked his wrist away from Hutchinson and quickly followed after me.

"Thank you," Timothy told me quietly.

"Well, I wasn't about to let those boys beat you," I told him. "But, Timothy, you can't let those boys get to you. I know it's easier said than done, but you need to learn to stand up for yourself."

Timothy sighed. "I know." Over the next hour, Timothy and I organized the library shelves, making small talk. Timothy left, seeming much happier.

I walked down the corridor and spotted Joan and John talking. "Hello, Joan. Where were you two off to?"

"We were just going for a walk, would you like to join?" John asked.

I smiled and nodded. "I would love that. I could use some fresh air, just let me get my coat." John smiled back and held out his arm. I looped my arm through his.

Later, the three of us were strolling through the village as Joan talked about her late husband. "His name was Oliver," Joan said. "He died in the battle of Spy-On-Cope. We were childhood sweethearts... But you see, I was angry with the army for such a long time."

"You still are," John noted. "I find myself as part of that school watching boys learn how to kill."

"Don't you think discipline is good for them?" John asked.

"But it doesn't have to be military discipline, John," I pointed out. "There are other effective ways to discipline. Besides, if there's another war those boys won't find it so amusing."

John nodded in understanding. "Well... Great Britain's at peace, long may it reign."

"In your journey, in one of your stories, you wrote about next year. 1914," Joan said.

"That was just a dream," John replied.

"All those images of mud and wire. You told of a shadow, a shadow falling across the entire world."

"Well, then we can be thankful it's not true," John said and I hummed in agreement. "And I'll admit mankind doesn't need warfare and bloodshed to prove itself; everyday life can provide honor and valor and... let's hope that from now on this, this country can... can find its heroes in smaller places..." John paused, seemingly distracted. I followed his gaze and noticed a woman pushing a baby carriage around a corner and two men holding onto a rope attached to a piano suspended in mid air. "In the most..." As John and I watched, the piano lurched dangerously as the rope began to break and the woman walked unknowingly closer to the piano. "Ordinary..." a few more of the rope strands snapped. "Of deeds!" As if acting on instinct, I quickly snatched a cricket ball from a young boy playing nearby and tossed it to John who threw the ball at a bundle of spare scaffolding poles standing near the two men. The poles fell, hitting a plank of wood with a brick at the end. The brick then flew up and over the piano, just as the rope snapped. The brick hit a mill churn on a cart, sending it falling into the path of the baby carriage. The woman screamed and the piano smashed to the ground just in front on the baby carriage. The two men rushed to make sure the woman and baby were alright as John and I stood, blinking in amazement. "Lucky..." John mumbled.

"That was luck?" Joan asked with a small laugh.

"Joan, would you like to accompany John and I to the village dance this evening as our guest?" I asked. "John will need a dance partner and seeing as I'm seven months pregnant, I can't stay on my feet too long."

Joan smiled. "I would be delighted." The three of us laughed and continued walking. Later, we found ourselves walking through a field. "It's all becoming clear now, the Doctor is the man you'd like to be, doing impossible things with cricket balls."

"Well, I discovered a talent, that's certainly true!" John replied.

"But the Doctor has an eye for the ladies!" Joan teased.

"Maybe, but like me, he loves his wife more than anything," John said, wrapping an arm around my waist and pressing a kiss to my forehead. He noticed a scarecrow at the top of a hill. "That scarecrow's all skewed." We wandered over and John started to fix it.

"So where did you two meet?" Joan asked.

"Gallifrey," John and I replied together.

"Is that in Ireland?" John frowned thoughtfully.

"Yes, it must be, yes," he said, though he sounded unsure. I didn't blame him. The way we answered, it was almost instinctual.

"But neither of you are Irish?"

"Not at all, no," John said, shifting the scarecrow so it stood straight. "My father Sidney was a watchmaker from Nottingham and my mother Verity was a librarian actually."

"Well, we do make good wives," I piped up with a smile.

"Hmm, and I'm sure you'll make an even better mother," John added.

"What about you, Elena?" Joan asked.

"Oh, my father was a farmer and my mother stayed home to take care of my brother and I," I answered. "I loved to read when I was young and my mother often brought me to the library John's mother ran. John happened to be there one day and we became friends."

"I remember that day," John said, smiling softly. "I thought you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen."

"Well, that would explain why you couldn't form a straight sentence," I giggled.

"I managed eventually," John protested. "We were nearly inseparable after." I smiled, recalling all the days we spent together. "Well, my work is done, what do you think?" He asked, standing back from the scarecrow to admire his work.

"Masterpiece," Joan complimented with a smile.

"All sorts of skills today!" I told him. We laughed and headed back towards the school.

Back at the school, John and I retired to his study. I sat on the couch in front of the fire, reading another of my books while John sat opposite me, sketching. "What are you sketching this time?" I asked. In reply, John stood up and sat on the couch beside me, showing me his sketch book. He was sketching me as I sat reading. "Again? Haven't you sketched me enough?"

"I like sketching things I find fascinating or beautiful," John replied. "In your case, it's both."

"How is it that you managed to make me beautiful even though I'm pregnant?"

John smiled at me softly. "You'll always be beautiful to me. Besides," he told me, placing a hand on my belly. "I think the fact that your carrying my child makes you even more beautiful."

I laughed lightly. "Always the charmer." I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. He responded eagerly, setting his sketchbook down and putting a hand on my waist, drawing me closer. Suddenly, we heard the door open, causing us to break apart.

"Martha, what have I told you about entering unannounced?" John snapped. Martha quickly scurried out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"John, you know I don't like it when you snap at her," I scolded.

"She's a maid, Elena," he replied. "She needs to learn her place."

I simply sighed and shook my head in reply. With difficulty, I got to my feet and waddled toward my closet. "Come on, we need to start getting ready for the dance." Joan showed up a couple hours later.

"You look wonderful," John complimented her.

"You'd best give me some warning, um, can you actually dance?" Joan asked.

"Um... I'm not certain..." John replied after a moment.

"There's a surprise," Joan commented teasingly. Suddenly, Martha burst into the room, looking worried.

"Martha? What's wrong?" I asked in concern.

"They've found us," she stated breathlessly.

"This is ridiculous..." Joan mumbled.

"Martha, I've warned you," John growled.

"They've found us, and I've seen them," Martha insisted. "They look like people, like us, like normal. I'm sorry, but you've got to open the watch." She turned to the mantelpiece, but stopped. "Where is it?" She shuffled through the various things on the mantelpiece. "Oh my gosh, where's it gone? Where's the watch?"

"What are you talking about?" John asked in confusion.

"You had a watch, a fob watch. Right there!" Martha told him.

"Did I? I don't remember," John replied.

"It looks just like the one Wonder wears around her neck."

I blinked in surprise. "My watch?" I asked her, absentmindedly fingering the silver chain around my neck.

"I can't see what concern it is of yours," Joan told Martha irritably.

"But we need it... oh my gosh, Doctor, Wonder, we're hiding from aliens, and they've got Jenny and they've... possessed her or copied her or something and you've got to tell me, where's the watch?" Martha asked desperately.

A look of realization came over John's face. "Oh I see...Cultural differences," he told Joan and I quietly. He picked up his journal which Joan had returned earlier. "It must be so confusing for you. Martha, this is what we call a story."

"John!" I scolded. I had no idea what had gotten into Martha and I was very concerned.

Martha glared at John. "Oh you complete... This," she waved her finger to indicate John, "is not you, this is nineteen thirteen."

"Good. This is nineteen thirteen," John replied as if he were talking to a confused child.

"I am sorry, I'm really sorry but I've got to snap you out of this." Martha slapped John hard across the face.

"Martha!" Joan and I exclaimed.

"Wake up! You're both coming back to the TARDIS with me!" Martha declared, grabbing John and I's hands and starting to tug us along.

"How dare you! I'm not going anywhere with an insane servant!" John exclaimed angrily. "Martha, you are dismissed, you will leave these premises immediately. Now get out!" He grabbed Martha's wrist and dragged her to the door, throwing her out. He walked back over, completely flabbergasted at Martha's actions. "Nerve of it, absolute cheek! You think I'm a fantasist, what about her?"

"The funny thing is, you did have a fob watch," Joan pointed out, gesturing to the mantelpiece. "Right there. Don't you remember?" John and I glanced at each other. Had there been a watch? I couldn't remember.

"I just don't understand what has gotten into her," I said as we arrived at the village hall.

"She's infatuated," Joan stated. "He's a dangerous man."

"That he is," I agreed. The three of us laughed.

"Spare a penny for the veterans of the Crimea, sir?" An older man asked as we walked up to the door.

"Yes, of course," John said, digging in his pocket. He pulled out a few coins and dropped them in the tin the man held. "There you are." Inside, we found a table.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Please take your partners for a waltz," the announce said. I smiled as John took Joan's hand and led her to the dance floor. After a couple of dances, they returned to the table and John managed to convince me to dance with him. Thankfully, the song was slow so all I had to do was sway back and forth. When the song ended, I pulled him down by his lapels and kissed him softly. John took my hand and led me back to the table where we saw Martha had taken one of the seats.

"Oh, now really, Martha. This is getting out of hand," John sighed in frustration. "I must insist that you leave."

Martha stood and held out a silver tube with a blue light at the end. "Do you know what this is?" She asked. "Name it. Go on, name it."

"John, what is that silly thing?" Joan asked with a laugh. She frowned when he didn't answer. "John?" He slowly took the object from Martha, turning it over in his hands. I tilted my head, considering the object. Somehow, it seemed familiar.

"You're not John Smith. You're called the Doctor. The man in your journal, he's real. He's you," Martha told him. She turned to me. "And you're not Elena Smith. You're Wonder." I blinked in surprise. "All those adventures in that journal are true."

Suddenly, Mr. Clarke entered the dance hall, a strange gun in hand. People shrieked in terror and moved away. "There will be silence! All of you!" He ordered. Barnes and Jenny entered the hall, followed by scarecrows. "I said silence!"

"Mr Clarke! What's going on?" The announcer asked. In answer, Mr. Clarke fired at him, causing him to dissolving into nothing. John quickly drew me to his side and I held a hand to my mouth in horror.

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith everything I told you, just forget it! Don't say anything," Martha told us quickly.

"We asked for silence!" Baines shouted, a sickly smirk on his face. "Now then. We have a few questions for Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

"No, better than that," a little girl holding a ballon said as she joined Baines and Mr. Clarke. "The teacher. He's the Doctor. And the librarian is Wonder. I heard them talking."

"You took human form," Baines realized, smiling at us.

"Of course we're human, we were born human!" John shouted indignantly. "As were you, Baines. And Jenny, and you, Mr Clarke! What is going on, this is madness!"

"And a human brain, too! Simple, thick and dull," Baines said in delight.

"They're no good like this," Jenny complained.

"We need a Time Lord," Mr. Clarke added.

"Easily done," Baines declared. He stepped forward and aimed his gun at John. I gasped in horror while John recoiled backward. "Change back."

"I don't know what you're talking about," John told him, staring at him in shock.

"Change back!"

"I literally do not know-" John shouted. Jenny grabbed Martha and held a gun to her head.

"Martha!" I yelled.

"Get off me!" Martha shouted, struggling in Jenny's grip.

"She's your friend, isn't she?" Jenny asked. "Doesn't this scare you enough to change back?"

"I don't know what you mean!" John replied desperately.

"We only need one Time Lord," Jenny said. "Grab her."

"Let's have you!" Mr. Clarke said. He grabbed my arm and dragged me away from John.

"John!" I screamed, struggling to pull my arm free. I froze when Mr. Clarke held his gun to my head.

"Elena!" John cried in horror, but he dared not make a move for fear Mr. Clarke would shoot. Though I did my best not to show it, I was absolutely terrified.

"Have you enjoyed it, Doctor? Being human?" Baines asked. "Has it taught you wonderful things, are you better, richer, wiser? Then let's see you answer this. Which one of them do you want us to kill? Maid or Mrs. Smith? Your friend, or your wife and unborn child? Your choice."

* * *

 **What did you guys think? I want to thank all of my reader, both those that review and those that just read. when I started this, I didn't know if anyone would like it, so it make me feel good to see peope review or follow/favorite my story. I'm currently working on another DW sort of crossover with X-men. It will be another oc story. The X-men will really only be mentioned, though I do plan on havning one chaoter including my oc goinng back to the school. I have no idea when that story will be up. Anyway, till next time!**


	39. Family of Blood

**Hello readers! I managed to get the next chapter done early! So one of my guest readers, I'm Clara Oswald, suggested doing something special for the 50th chapter. She suggested doing a Q &A with the characters answering the questions. I thought this was a great idea. So from now until the 50th chapter, I want you guys to send in any questions you have regarding the story and its characters. You can direct the question to a specific character if you want or just have any character answer (will include any character up to the 50th chapter; ninth and tenth Doctors as well as Elena and Wonder will be considered separate characters). There will be no limit on how many questions you can ask. Anyway, on with the story!  
**

* * *

"Make you decision, Mr Smith," Jenny demanded. John stood, frozen with fear, not knowing what he should do. I knew he would choose me, but Martha was still a dear friend to both of us. I could tell he didn't want to have to choose between two lives, even if I was one of those lives.

"Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge," Baines suggested. I began to tremble in fear as Mr. Clarke tightened his grip on my arm and pressed his gun closer to me. Suddenly, all four jerked their heads to the side. "It's him!" I took advantage of their momentary distraction and stomped hard on Mr. Clarke's foot. He yelped in pain and let go of my arm. I hurried over to John, who was still frozen in fear.

"One more move and I shoot," Martha declared, placing Jenny between herself and the others. During my distraction, she must have somehow managed to disarm Jenny.

"Oh, the maid is full of fire!" Baines said in delight, a smirk still on his face.

"And you can shut up!" Martha shouted. I flinched as she fired into the ceiling. That seemed to snap John out of his stupor a bit as he quickly wrapped and arm around me and drew me close.

"Careful, Son of Mine. This is all for you so that you can live forever," Mr. Clarke warned Baines.

"Shoot you down!" Baines yelled.

"Try it," Martha taunted. "We'll die together."

Baines narrowed his eyes at Martha. "Would you really pull the trigger? Looks too scared."

"Scared and holding a gun. It's a good combination," Martha retorted, "You wanna risk it?" Though I could hear the fear in her voice, I was very impressed that she was able to stay as calm as she was. Baines glanced at John and I before reluctantly lowering his gun. "Doctor, Wonder, get everyone out. There's a door at the side. It's over there. Go on!" She urged, keeping her gaze trained on Baines, Mr. Clarke, and the girl. Neither John or I made any move to obey. "Do it, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I mean you!" She shouted irritably.

"Do what she said. Everybody out now," Joan said, beginning to usher everyone out. "Don't argue, Mr. Jackson. They're mad. That's all we need to know. Susan, Miss Cooper, outside, all of you!" The villagers quickly obeyed, running out the doors, screaming. "Come on, Elena!" She called. I shook myself out of my stupor and followed.

"You too, Timothy," I said as I passed the boy on the way out. "Back to the school."

John joined me a moment later and started directing some of the villagers. "Mr. Hicks, go to the village. Get everyone out," he ordered. He turned to Timothy, who had followed me out. "Latimer, get back to the school. Tell the headmaster-"

"Don't touch me!" Timothy shouted, jerking away from John. "You're as bad as them!" He ran off, leaving John and I puzzled.

Just then, Martha came running out of the village hall. "Don't just stand there, move!" She yelled angrily. "Gosh, you're rubbish as a human! Come on!" She ran off and John took my hand as we and Joan followed.

We arrived back at the school and John closed the heavy wooden main door behind us. I leaned against a wall breathing heavily. All that running couldn't be good for the baby. We moved into the front hall and John immediately began ringing a bell. "What're you doing?" Martha demanded.

"Maybe one man can't fight them, but this school teaches us to stand together. Take arms! Take arms!" John shouted, continuing to ring the bell. I started feeling a slight bit faint from all the 'excitement' and running so I decided to sit down in the stairs. Joan quickly joined me, making sure I was alright.

"You can't do that!" Martha protested.

"You want me to fight, don't you?" John retorted. "Take arms! Take arms!" Boys began rushing down the stairs in response to the bell.

"I say sir, what's the matter?" Hutchinson asked.

"Enemy at the door, Hutchinson," John told him. "Enemy at the door. Take arms!"

"You can't do this, Doctor. Mr. Smith!" Martha protested as the boys loaded the machine guns.

"Maintain position over the stable yard," John told the boys, ignoring Martha.

"They're just boys! You can't ask them to fight!"

"Faster now! That's it."

"They don't stand a chance!"

"They're cadets, Miss Jones. They are trained to defend the King and all his properties," John reminded her.

"What in thunder's name is this?" The Headmaster demanded as he entered the room. "Before I devise an excellent and endless series of punishments for each and every one of you, could someone explain very simply and immediately exactly what is going on?"

"Headmaster, I have to report the school is under attack," John told him.

The headmaster raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Really? Is that so? Perhaps you and I should have a word in private."

"I promise you, sir. I was in the village with my wife and Matron," John insisted. "It's Baines, sir. Jeremy Baines and Mr. Clarke from Oakham Farm. They've gone mad, sir. They've got guns. They've already murdered people in the village. I saw it happen."

"Mrs. Smith, Matron, is that so?" The headmaster asked skeptically. I nodded, still a bit out of breath.

"I'm afraid it's true, sir," Joan replied solemnly.

The headmaster frowned. "Murder on our own soil?" Once again I nodded.

"I saw it, yes," Joan confirmed.

The headmaster turned back to John. "Perhaps you did well then, Mr. Smith. What makes you thing the danger's coming here?"

"Well, sir, they said, um..." John trailed off, not sure how to explain what had happened.

"Baines threatened Mr. and Mrs. Smith, sir," Joan supplied. "Um, said he'd follow them. We don't know why."

The headmaster nodded. "Very well. You boys, remain on guard. Mr. Snell, telephone the police. Mr. Philips, with me. We shall investigate," he declared.

Martha moved in front of the headmaster. "No, it's not safe out there," she warned him.

"Mr. Smith, it seems your favorite servant is giving me advice," the headmaster said in a warning tone. "You will control her, sir."

"Headmaster, she may be just a servant, but she's smart and seems to know more about what's going on than anyone. It might be best if you would listen to her advice," I suggested, getting to my feet.

The headmaster narrowed his eyes at me. "Mrs. Smith, if what your husband says is true, than this in no place for a pregnant woman. I suggest you remove yourself and take refuge in the library." He left, Mr. Phillips following.

I huffed in annoyance. "Is there something wrong with taking advice from a woman?"

"He's right though," John said, walking over to me. "It's not safe here. You need to go find somewhere to hide."

"But I can't just hide while you and the boys risk your lives," I protested.

"Elena, please," John said softly, gently cupping my cheeks. "I can't loose you. You need to keep yourself and our child safe." I gazed into his eyes and, though he did his best to hide it, I could see he was scared. He had no idea what was going on and the new information Martha told us wasn't helping.

I sighed heavily. "Fine, but you need to keep yourself safe. I don't want to be raising our child alone."

John smiled and kissed me softly. "You won't. Now go." I picked up the hem of my dress and hurried down the corridor as fast as my swollen belly would allow. I skidded to a halt as I very nearly ran into Joan. "Joan! Where are you going?"

"I'm going to help those boys," she replied.

"It's not safe!" I warned.

"I'm a nurse," she declared. "Those boys need me."

I sighed, knowing I wouldn't be able to stop her. I blinked and tilted my head slightly as a thought occurred to me. "Joan," I began slowly, "You don't believe what they said do you?"

"What do you mean?" Joan asked in confusion.

"Mr. Clarke, Jenny, and Baines," I clarified. "You don't believe that John and I are this Doctor and Wonder, do you?" I watched her reaction carefully, waiting apprehensively for her answer.

"Tell me about Nottingham," she said after a moment.

I blinked in confusion. "What?"

"That's where you and John met, isn't it? Tell me about it."

"Well, it lies on the River Leen, its southern boundary following the course of the River Trent which flows from Stoke to the Humber," I replied, frowning a bit.

"That sounds like an encyclopedia," Joan said. "Where was the library where you two met?"

I gave her a confused look, trying figure out what the pointed of these questions was. "Broadmoor Street, adjacent to Hotley Terrace in the district of Radford Parade," I answered.

"More than facts. What about when you two were young? Where did you play?" She pressed. I blinked and opened my mouth to answer, but found I couldn't. "All those secret places you went to to be alone when you got older?" Once again, I couldn't come up with an answer. I frowned in frustration and confusion. Why couldn't I come up with an answer. These are questions I should be able to answer easily, but for some reason, my mind was coming up empty. "Tell me, Elena."

"How can you think I'm not real?" I asked her, hurt that she didn't believe me. "Was our friendship not real?"

"Of course it was," Joan said.

"Then how can you stand there and ask me these questions?" I questioned sadly.

Joan stared at me for a moment, before turning. "I have to go. The boys need me." I watched, nearly on the verge of tears as Joan ran back towards the fight. Why couldn't I answer her? I shook my head and continued down the corridor, deciding not to dwell on it now.

I stopped outside John's study as I heard a scream of frustration. I looked inside to see Martha standing in the middle of the room, papers and books lying everywhere. "Martha, what are you doing?" I asked.

"Looking for the Doctor's fob watch, but it's not here," she growled, kicking John's desk.

"What's so special about his fob watch?" I asked.

"It contains his Time Lord conscience," Martha explained. "And yours contains Wonder's conscience."

"But how can all those stories in John's journal be true?" I asked, desperate for answers. "And why are those people after us?"

"The Family wants to live forever and they need a Time Lord to do that," Martha explained.

"Can't we just give them the watches then?" I suggested. "Maybe they will leave us alone."

"No!" Martha said quickly. "As soon as they have those watches they will kill you and everyone else. Finding those watches and opening is the only way to stop them."

I stood, staring at Martha for a moment. "Then I guess we better find that watch," I finally said.

Martha blinked in surprise. "You're going to help?"

I shrugged. "You said the watches are our only chance of stopping them and helping look for John's is the only thing I can do right now."

Martha nodded. "Ok. We need to look somewhere else, cause it's not here." She ran out of the room and I followed.

We ran back through the front hall. We stopped when we spotted Joan staring out one of the windows. "Joan!" I called. "What's going on?"

"They're going to war," Joan replied solemnly. I walked over and looked out the window and my heart nearly stopped at what I saw. All the boys were lined up outside, their guns trained on the main doors. I sucked in a breath as I spotted John among the boys, holding a gun of his own.

"At post!" The headmaster ordered as someone pounded on the door. All the boys including John cocked their weapons.

"Enemy approaching, sir," one boy announced.

"Steady! Find the biting point." The wood bar across the gate cracked apart and scarecrows came through. "Fire!" The boys let loose a volley of gun fire, felling some of the scarecrows. I watched in horror as the boys continued to fire. I looked at John and noticed with pleasant surprise that he wasn't firing. He stood there, watching as the scarecrows fell, but didn't fire his own gun. "Cease fire!" The headmaster ordered. The boys stopped shooting as the headmaster went to examine the bodies. "They're straw. Like he said. Straw!"

"Then no one's dead, sir? We killed no one?" Hutchinson asked the Doctor in relief.

The headmaster turned as he heard something and hurried back behind the line of guns "Stand to!" The boys cocked their guns again as the little girl from the village, Lucy, if I remembered correctly, approached. Martha quickly ran outside, Joan and I following. "You child, come out of the way. Come into the school," the headmaster urged, beckoning to her. "You don't know who's out there. It's the Cartwright girl, isn't it? Come here. Come to me."

"Mr. Rocastle, please. Don't go near her," Martha pleaded.

"You were told to be quiet," the headmaster snapped.

"Listen to me, she's part of it!" Martha insisted. She turned to me, a desperate look on her face. "Mrs. Smith, tell him."

"She's telling the truth, Headmaster," I confirmed. Martha smiled at me gratefully.

The headmaster narrowed his eyes at me. "Mrs. Smith, I thought I told you to remove yourself."

"My wife is right, Headmaster," John added. "That little girl was in the village with Baines."

"Mr. Smith, I've seen many strange sights this night but there is no cause on God's earth that would allow me to see this child in the field of battle, sir," the headmaster replied stiffly. He turned back to Lucy. "Come with me."

"You're funny," Lucy said with a smile.

The headmaster nodded encouragingly. "That's right. Now take my hand."

"So funny," Lucy repeated, her smile falling slightly. She reached into her coat and pulled out a gun, shooting the headmaster. I gasped and put a hand to my mouth in shock. "Now who's going to shoot me, any of you, really?" She challenged.

"Put down your guns," John ordered after a moment, lowering his riffle.

"But sir, the Headmaster..." Hutchinson protested.

"I'll not see this happen. Not anymore," John declared. "You will retreat... in an orderly fashion back through the school. Hutchinson, lead the way."

"But sir-"

"I said, lead the way," John ordered more firmly.

Baines joined Lucy. "Go on, then, run!" He shouted gleefully. He fired his gun into the air, causing the boys to panic and retreat.

"Come on!" Martha urged. She, John, Joan, and I quickly followed after the boys, leading them through a passage in the stable.

"Let's go! Quick as you can!" John urged.

"Don't go to the village! It's not safe!" Martha warned the boys.

John turned to us. "And you, ladies!"

"We're not going until we get all the boys out," I snapped.

John sighed in frustration. "Wait here," he told us. He went outside the stable and came back a moment later. "It appears clear outside. Now, I insist. The three of you just go. If there are any more boys inside, I'll find them." He opened the door to the passage only to quickly slam it shut when he saw there were scarecrows on the other side. "I think... retreat," he decided.

"That sounds like a good idea," I agreed. The four of us ran off in the opposite direction, eventually finding ourselves in the woods near the school.

"Doctor! Wonder!" Mr. Clarke called in a sing song voice. We stopped and spotted him along with Baines and Jenny standing outside the school. Behind stood a familiar blue box. "Come back, Doctor. Come home. Come and claim your prize."

"Out you come, Doctor! There's a good boy. Come to the Family," Baines said.

"Time to end it now!" Jenny declared.

"You recognize it, don't you?" Martha asked John quietly.

"Come out, Doctor! Come to us!" Jenny enticed.

"I've never seen it in my life," John denied, though his voice was tight.

"Do you remember its name?" Martha asked.

I stared at the blue box I had seen in several of my dreams. "TARDIS," I said so quietly, they could barely hear me. I didn't know how I knew its name, but it somehow seemed right. "That's the blue box John wrote about, isn't it?"

Martha nodded with a small smile. "Yeah, it is. That's your, magic carpet, as you put it."

"I'm not... I'm John Smith," John said, his voice breaking. "That's all I want to be. John Smith, with his life... and his job..." He look to me. "And his love. Why can't I be John Smith? Isn't he a good man?"

"Yes. Yes, he is," Joan replied.

"Why can't I stay?"

"But we need the Doctor," Martha protested. "As well as Wonder. We need both of them."

I turned to her, tears forming in my eyes. "What does that make us, nothing? Are we nothing more than a story?" John ran off and I quickly followed.

Joan and Martha caught up to us and the four of us stopped to get out bearings. "This way," Joan said. "I think I know somewhere we can hide."

"We've got to keep going," John insisted.

"Just listen to me for once, John," Joan snapped irritably. "Follow me." Martha glanced between them before following Joan. I sighed and held a hand out to John and gently tugged him along.

"Here we are," Joan announced as we arrived at a dark house. "It should be empty. Oh, it's a long time since I've run that far."

"But who lives here?" Martha asked.

"If I'm right, no one." Joan opened the door and walked in. It was a simple cottage kitchen complete with tea set on the table. "Hello?" Joan called. "No one home. We should be safe here." I waddled over to one of the chairs and sat down, breathing heavily from the running.

"Whose house is it, though?" Martha asked.

"Um, the Cartwrights," Joan answered. "That little girl at the school... she's Lucy Cartwright, or she's taken Lucy Cartwright's form. If she came home this afternoon and if the parents tried to stop their little girl, then they were vanished." She put her hand on the teapot on the table. "Stone cold. How easily I accept these ideas."

John sat in another of the chairs, looking as if her had the weight of the world on his shoulders. I didn't blame him. Learning that you're not who you thought you were tends to take a toll on you. "I must go to them before anyone else dies," John said after a moment of silence.

"John, you can't," I told him, grabbing his hand. "Martha, isn't there anything else we can do?"

Martha shook her head. "Not without the watch."

"You're this Doctor's and Wonder's companion! Can't you help?" John asked desperately. "What exactly do you do for them? Why do they need you?"

"Because he's lonely," Martha replied sadly.

John stared at her. "And that's what you want us to become." I squeezed his hand, trying to offer at least some comfort. He was right though. Why would we want to give up the cozy lifestyle we have as John and Elena Smith for the lonely one of the Doctor and Wonder. Suddenly we all snapped our heads around at someone knocked on the door,

"What if it's them?" Joan asked worriedly.

"I'm not an expert, but I don't think scarecrows knock," Martha pointed out. She walked over and opened the door.

"I brought you this," I heard Timothy say.

Martha came back over and held a fob watch out to John. "Hold it."

John shook his head and backed away. "I won't."

"Please, just hold it," Martha pleaded.

"It told me to find you," Timothy told John. "It wants to be held."

"You've had this watch all this time?" Joan asked. "Why didn't you return it?"

"Because it was waiting. And because I was scared of the Doctor," Timothy replied glancing at John.

"Why?"

"Because... I've seen him. He's... like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun."

"Stop it," John demanded.

"He's ancient and forever," Timothy continued. "He burns at the centre of time and he can see the turn of the universe."

"Stop! I said stop it," John repeated, trembling slightly in fear.

"And he's wonderful," Timothy finished.

"I've still got this," Joan said, pulling John's journal out of her pocket. "The journal."

"Those are just stories," John said, still refusing to believe what was right on front of him.

"Now we know that's not true," Joan told him softly. "Perhaps there's something in here." Suddenly, an explosion went off outside.

"What in the world?!" Martha gasped, running to the window. We all looked out to see the same green light we saw the other night falling to the ground, except this time, there were a lot more.

"They're destroying the village," I said sadly.

"Watch," John said softly. He picked the watch up.

"John, don't," Joan warned. Out of curiosity, I pulled my watch out from under my dress. I stared at it, running my fingers over the delicate circles that decorated it.

" _Come closer_ ," the watch whispered.

"Can you hear it?" Timothy asked John, refusing to his watch.

" _Closer. Closer._ " I stared, transfixed. The watch suddenly felt warm and I could feel it pulsating slightly, as if there was something living inside.

"I think he's asleep. Waiting to awaken," John said quietly, staring at his own watch.

"Why did he speak to me?" Timothy wondered.

"Oh, low-level telepathic field," John shrugged, though the voice was not his.

"You were born with it. Quite fascinating really," I added, without looking up. I froze and my eyes widened. That was not me who just spoke.

"It's just an extra synaptic engram causing-" John continued then stopped and took in a sharp breath. "Is that how they talk?"

"That's them!" Martha said excitedly. "All you have to do is open the watches and they're back."

I looked over at Martha, tears welling in my eyes. "You knew this all along?" I asked. "You knew and now you just expect us to die?" I flinched as there were more explosions outside.

"It was always going to end, though!" Martha said defensively. "The Doctor said the Family's got a limited lifespan. That's why they need to consume a Time Lord. Otherwise, three months and they die. Like mayflies, he said."

"So your job was to execute us," John stated, trying hard to keep it together.

"People are dying out there!" Martha snapped. "They need the Doctor and Wonder and I need them. 'Cause you've got no idea of what they're like. I've only just met them. It wasn't even that long ago, but they are everything... they're just everything to me and they don't even look at me, but I don't care... 'cause I love them to bits. And I hope to God they won't remember me saying this." The house shook from the explosions.

"It's getting closer," Timothy warned.

"I should have thought of it before... I can give them this," John said excitedly, holding out his watch. "Just the watch. Then they can leave and Elena I can stay as we are!"

"John, I don't think-" I started.

"You can't do that!" Martha protested.

"If they want the Doctor, they can have him," John said.

"Wonder will never let you do it, never mind the Doctor," Martha told him sternly.

"If they get what they want, then... then..."

"Then it all ends in destruction," Joan spoke up. "I never read to the end but those creatures would live forever to breed and conquer. War across the stars... for every child." I looked at John, who was on the verge of tears.

"Martha, Timothy, Joan, would you leave us alone, please?" I asked quietly. John let out a quiet sob as they left. Once they were gone, John broke down and I stood up and hugged him tightly, shedding tears of my own. We stood like that for a while, neither of us saying anything while the Family continued their bombardment of the village. Finally, we both calmed down and sat on a bench, staring at our watches. "I wish we didn't have to do this," I sighed. "But Martha said the watches are our only hope of defeating the Family. And I can't sit by and watch innocent people die when we can do something about it."

"Can we really do this though?" John asked. "The Doctor and Wonder live a dangerous life. That's not the kind of life I want to raise our child in." I gazed at him softly and reached out to grab his hand. Suddenly, images flashed through my mind. I saw the birth of John and I's first child, a beautiful baby girl, me reading a book while our daughter showed John the picture she had drawn, John and I walking through a park, two children running ahead while we swung the youngest between us, and finally me sitting beside John on his death bed.

"They're all safe, aren't they? The children... the grandchildren... everyone's safe?" Vision John asked.

"Everyone's safe," vision me replied with a soft smile. "They all send their love, John."

Vision John nodded slowly. "It's done. Thank you." He let out a peaceful sigh and closed his eyes.

"Did you see?" John gasped.

I nodded. "The Doctor and Wonder have such adventures, but they could never have a life like that."

"And yet we could!" John said, gazing at me with a pleading expression.

I sighed sadly and looked back at the watch sitting in my hand. "What are we going to do?" John turned to me, breathing heavily, but he didn't answer.

 **Third POV**

"We'll blast them into dust, fuse the dust into glass, then shatter them all over again!" Barnes declared happily, messing with some of the controls of the Family's ship. There was a slight metal twang and the Family turned to see John.

"Just..." John began, giving a clumsily lurch, pressing a few of the ship's many buttons. "Just stop the bombardment. That's all I'm asking. I'll do anything you want, just stop."

"Say please," Baines requested, smirking at John.

"Please," John begged. After a slight pause, Jenny turned a switch.

"Wait a minute," Jenny said, inhaling deeply. "Still human."

"Now I can't... I can't pretend to understand, not for a second, but I want you to know that Elena and I are innocent in all this," John said nervously. They made us John and Elena Smith. It's not like we had any control over it." He stumbled and bumped into more buttons.

"He didn't just make himself human, he made himself an idiot," Jenny said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Same thing, isn't it?" Baines replied.

"I don't care about this Doctor, Wonder, or your family, I just want you to go. So, I've made my choice," John decided, holding out his and Elena's watch. "You can have them. Just take them, please! Take them away."

Barnes grinned triumphantly. "At last." He took the watches and gazed at them. He reached out his other hand and grabbed John by the lapels. "Don't think that saved your life or your wife." He pushed John away, who hit more buttons as he fell. "Family of Mine, now we shall have the lives of a Time Lord." He opened one of the watches and all the Family breathed deeply. He frowned and opened the other. "There're empty!" He exclaimed angrily.

John frowned in confusion, still on the ground. "Well, where've they gone?"

"You tell me," Baines growled. He threw the watches at John, who caught them one-handed.

"Oh, I think the explanation might be you've been fooled by a simple olfactory misdirection... little bit like ventriloquism of the nose," the Doctor explained nonchalantly as he got to his feet. "It's an elementary trick in certain parts of the galaxy. But it has got to be said..." He slipped on his glasses and examined a device in the middle of the ship. "I don't like the looks of that hydroconometre. It seems to be indicating you've got energy feedback all the way through the retrostabilisers feeding back into the primary heat converter... ah." He hissed through his teeth. "'Cause if there's one thing you shouldn't have done, you shouldn't have let me press all those buttons. But, in fairness, I will give you one word of advice." He grinned madly. "Run." He bolted from the ship, leaving the Family behind.

"Get out! Get out!" Baines shouted. He and the rest of the Family ran out and across the field behind the Doctor. The ship exploded, through I glanced the Family to the ground. The Family looked up as the Doctor stood over them. Wonder joined him, a hand on her belly. The Family gulped at the dark expressions on the Time Lords' faces.

 **Baines voice over**

"They never raised his voice. That was the worst thing. The fury of the Time Lords. And then we discovered why. Why this Doctor and his Wonder, who had fought with gods and demons, why they'd run away from us and hidden, they were being kind. But we threatened the lives of the Doctor's wife and their unborn child, so they made sure we paid dearly. He wrapped my father in unbreakable chains, forged in the heart of a dwarf star. He tricked my mother into the event horizon of a collapsing galaxy to be imprisoned there... forever. He still visits my little sister once a year every year. I wonder if one day he might forgive her, but there she is... can you see? He trapped her inside a mirror, every mirror. If ever you look at your reflection and see something move behind you, just for a second, that's her. That's always her. As for me, I was suspended in time. And the Doctor put me to work...standing over the fields of England... as their protector. We wanted to live forever, so the Doctor and his Wonder made sure that we did."

 **Wonder's POV**

The Doctor returned to the Cartwright cottage to talk to Joan while I stayed behind in the TARDIS. Martha checked me over in the med bay. After getting confirmation that everything was progressing smoothly with the baby, she and I went outside to wait for the Doctor. I smiled softly as I spotted him coming up the hill. "All right. Molto bene!" He said.

"How was she?" I asked.

The Doctor shrugged. "What's to be expected I suppose."

"Will she be ok?"

"Eventually," he sighed, glancing back at the cottage. "She's a strong woman, though. Time we moved on." I nodded in agreement. I felt guilty about what we had to put Martha and Joan through. If there had been another way to get away from the Family, the Doctor and I would have done it. Unfortunately, becoming human was our only option.

"Um...about last night..." Martha stuttered nervously. "I would have said anything to get you to change."

"Oh yeah, of course you would. Yeah," the Doctor said.

"I mean, I wasn't really..."

"Martha," I said, gaining the med students attention. "It's ok." I smiled at her reassuringly and she smiled back in relief.

"Oh, and I never said thanks for lookin' after us," the Doctor added. He wrapped Martha in a big hug and I chuckled lightly.

"Doctor, Wonder, Martha," Timothy called as he came up the hill.

"Tim-Timothy-Timber," the Doctor greeted, causing me to shake my head in amusement.

"I just wanted to say good-bye. And thank you, because I've seen the future and I now know what must be done," Timothy informed us. "It's coming, isn't it? The biggest war ever."

"You don't have to fight," Martha told him.

"I think we do."

"But you could get hurt."

"Well, so could you, traveling around with him, but it's not going to stop you," Timothy pointed out.

"Tim, I'd be honored if you'd take this," the Doctor said, giving Timothy his fob watch.

"I can't hear anything," Timothy said in confusion.

"No, it's just a watch now," the Doctor informed him. "But keep it with you. For good luck."

Martha hugged him. "Look after yourself."

"Good luck, Timothy," I told him. "And keep being brilliant." I kissed his forehead and followed Martha into the TARDIS.

"You'll like this bit," the Doctor said. He shuts the doors and set the TARDIS controls.

 **Third POV**

Years later a Remembrance Sunday service was held. An elderly Timothy Latimer sat in a wheelchair, a few others standing behind him while a female vicar read "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon. Timothy listened to the vicar, all the while tracing the intricate circles that decorated the golden fob watch he held. He turned his head and saw Martha standing next to Wonder and the Doctor as Wonder pinned a poppy to the Doctor's lapels. He smiled softly.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? As always, any feedback is appreciated. I have no idea how long it will take to get the next chapter up. I haven't started it yet and there is still one part of it that I'm not sure what to do. Hopefully, I will be able to get it up before school starts again, but there are no guarantees. Till next time!  
**


	40. Blink

**Hey Readers! I finally finished the next chapter! XD! I'm so sorry it took so long. I've been drowning in homework and I'm already struggling with my genetics class. I also just had an exam for my animal nutrition class that I don't think I did well on. I also had trouble figuring out what to write since I'm not that creative and most of this chapter was original. But I did it! I got a bit sloppy at the end though. Anyway, I'm sure you're eager to read it, so I'll stop rambling now.**

* * *

"You're sure you got everything?" I asked the Doctor as I handed him a long bow. There was an alien migration that was going to be starting in less than an hour and we had to stop it before that happened. Course, when I say we, what I really meant was the Doctor and Martha. I was a bit miffed that I couldn't go with, but being eleven and a half months pregnant, I wasn't able to do much more than waddle around the TARDIS, and even that was difficult.

"Yes, we have everything," the Doctor assured me with an amused smile. "You've made sure of that."

"Well, just make sure to stay near Martha in case she needs to call me to come get you," I told him. I turned to the med student with a worried look. "You charged your phone right?"

Martha nodded. "Yes," she sighed, also smiling in amusement. "We'll be fine, Wonder."

"It's not you I'm worried about."

"Oi!" The Doctor protested.

"I'll keep him out of trouble," she assured me. I gave her a thankful smile.

I turned to the Doctor and pulled him down for a quick kiss. "You come back safely, you hear me?" I warned.

"Yes, dear," the Doctor replied. He pecked me on the lips and dashed over to the TARDIS doors. "Right, Martha. Allonsy!" Martha shook her head in exasperation as she followed him. I waved as I watched them go. As I closed the TARDIS doors, I gave a deep sigh. This had become somewhat of the norm. We would land somewhere, expecting a nice relaxing day, but would inevitably wind up finding some sort of trouble and have to save the day. Now there was nothing wrong with that. I mean it was par for our course. Unfortunately, over the last several months, I haven't been able to participate in all the world saving, at least not like I usually do. Sure I'm able to help out here and there, but if there is any amount of running involved, you can count me out. Now don't get me wrong, I still love going on adventures, but I've been feeling increasingly more useless since our run in with the Family. The Doctor noticed of course and did his best to avoid trouble. We've had quite a few quiet trips, but I knew it was unfair for Martha. She shouldn't have to endure nothing but quiet relaxing trips or be stuck in the TARDIS for days on end simply because I'm pregnant. I could tell the Doctor he wasn't allowed to complain since he's half the reason I'm pregnant, but I couldn't do that to Martha. Plus, it just so happens that the Doctor is a danger magnet, so we can only stay out of trouble for so long anyway.

I decided I needed some cheering up, so I waddled in the direction of the kitchen, thanking the TARDIS as she moved it closer to the console room for me. I stood in the middle of the kitchen for a few moments, trying to figure out what I wanted to eat. I noticed a recipe book on the counter glanced at the page it was open to. I grinned. I moved about the kitchen, getting the ingredients I needed. About 30 minutes later, I pulled the fish sticks I had made from the oven and set them on the counter to cool. I wandered over to the fridge and grabbed a container of custard and poured some into a bowl. I placed the cooled fish sticks on a plate, grabbed my bowl of custard and waddled back to the console room to wait for the Doctor and Martha. I smiled when I noticed a Calvin and Hobbes comic book sitting on the captain's chair. I plopped myself down and took a bite of my snack, chewing slowly as I savored the taste. As most women did when there were pregnant, I had had some cravings. Macaroni and cheese doused with ketchup or pineapple chunks on pizza were just two of my strange cravings. Fishsticks and custard was one I discovered rather recently actually. I had been standing around the kitchen, trying to figure out what I was in the mood for. I normally would have asked the Doctor to get something for me, but he was fast asleep in our room and I didn't want to disturb him as he rarely sleeps, even by Time Lord standards. Anyway, much like earlier, I had discovered a recipe book open to a recipe for fish fingers and a container of custard sitting next to it. The Doctor had woken up and, when he went looking for me, found me in the kitchen, happily munching away on a bowl of fish fingers and custard. He had stood in the kitchen doorway in his pajamas, his usually spikey hair a complete mess, and blinked blearily at me as I dunked a fish finger into the custard, before turning around, muttering something about not eating sugar before going to bed.

About 45 minutes later I had finished my snack, but I was still hungry, so I decided to make more. I was eating my third helping by the time the Doctor and Martha got back. "How did it go?" I asked, dipping another fish finger into the bowl of custard at my side.

"Piece of cake," the Doctor replied cheerfully. "Told you there was nothing to worry ab-" He stopped mid sentence as he noticed what I was eating. "Are you eating fish fingers and custard again?"

"Yeth," I said through a mouthful of said food. I swallowed. "It's my comfort food."

He shook his head in disbelief. "I still don't understand how you can eat that stuff."

"Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it," I told him.

"Yeah, no thanks," he replied.

"I will get you to try it one of these days," I vowed. "Want some, Martha?"

"No thanks," the med student replied.

"Wonder, we haven't met anyone by the name of Sally Sparrow, have we?" The Doctor asked as he messed with the TARDIS controls.

I tilted my head curiously. "I don't think so. Why?"

"Well, this woman ran up to m as Martha and I go out of the cab," he said. "She seemed to know me and that I was a time traveler. Gave me this." He held up a folder.

"What is it?" I asked, taking the folder from him.

The Doctor shrugged. "I don't know. She just told me that we would get stuck in 1969 and that we needed to make sure we had this."

"Well, that would be par for our course," I sighed. I opened the folder and pulled out some of the contents. There were various pictures, mostly of stone statues, but some of an old house. There was a list of movies and what appeared to be a script. "Strange," I murmured, searching through the contents.

"I thought maybe we should check out that old house," the Doctor suggested

I nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

The three of us exited the TARDIS as she landed. "You know, I don't think 'old' is quite the right term for this place," Martha commented as we stared at the house. "Decrepit might be better." She was right. The house, if it could even be called that anymore, was falling apart. It clearly hadn't been lived in for a long time. We walked in and the Doctor pulled out three flashlights, handing one to me and one to Martha. I shone my flashlight beam around and determined we were in the front hall. We slowly walked around the room, the floorboards creaking under our feet.

"Martha, you go head upstairs," the Doctor said. "Wonder and I will look around down here." The med student nodded and walked off. The Doctor slipped his hand into mine and we wandered off in the opposite direction. We went from room to room, but found nothing of interest. Suddenly, I heard a fluttering sound and I jerked my head around. "What's wrong?"

"Didn't you hear that?" I asked, looking for the source of the noise.

"I don't hear anything-" He cut himself off as we heard the fluttering noise again. I subconsciously tightened my grip on the Doctor's hand. The sound was making me nervous. "Wonder, you should go back to the TARDIS. I'll go get Martha." I nodded, wanting to get out of there. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and hurriedly waddled out of the house.

I waited patiently in the console room for the Doctor to return with Martha. After about 10 minutes, however, I began to get worried. They should have been back now. Had something happened to them? I shook my head of the thought. Something had probably caught the Doctor's eye and he had decided to investigate. Another 20 minutes passed and now I really was worried. I paced the console room, nibbling on my thumb nail nervously. Where on EARTH were they? I sighed. Looks like it was up to me to go find them. The TARDIS gave a worried hum as I opened the door. "I have to go find them," I told her. "I'll be fine." I stepped out and glanced around cautiously. "Doctor? Martha?" I called. No reply. I turned on my flashlight and walked back towards the house, all my senses on high alert. "Doctor?! Martha?!" I called more urgently as I entered the house. Still no reply. I shone the beam of my flashlight around, looking for any sign of them. The beam passed over some writing on the wall that had been hidden under the wallpaper at some point. I cocked my head as I read. 'Beware the Weeping Angel. Oh, and duck! Really duck! Sally Sparrow. Duck, now!' Sally Sparrow? Wasn't that the name of the woman who the Doctor said approached him earlier? I glanced around as I hear the fluttering noise again. I turned back to read the rest of the message and froze. 'Love from the Doctor (1969).' "Oh, dear," I sighed. What had he gotten himself into. I reread the message. Weeping Angel sounded familiar. I wracked my brain, trying to recall where I had heard it before. Suddenly it clicked. Weeping Angels were aliens that sent people back in time and fed on their potential energy. When you looked at them, they appeared to be simple stone statues, but as soon as you looked away, boom, you were zapped back in time. I gasped in horror, bringing a hand to my mouth as I realized what must have happened. If there were Angels in the house, I needed to get out real quick. I spun around and immediately froze with a squeak of surprise. Standing right behind me, hands outstretched and mouth open in a snarl was a Weeping Angel. I stood, stock still, not daring to take my gaze from the Angel. My hearts pounded in my chest, my mind working at full speed, trying to find a way out. Unfortunately, I couldn't look away from the Angel to look for an escape route. My eyes began to water and burn from the effort of not blinking. Suddenly, my nose began to itch. The Angel must have kicked up some of the dust when it moved. I did my best to ignore the feeling, but it continued to grow. I quickly sniffed and I sighed in relief when the feeling went away. Then, before I could stop it, I sneezed, squeezing my eyes shut as I did. I felt something touch my shoulder and then a searing pain I was thrown into the Time Vortex.

I gasped as I landed hard on my butt. I winced, wrapping a hand around my stomach as the baby kicked, indicating that he/she was not happy with the bumpy ride. "Sorry, darling," I apologized. I groaned as I felt a wave of nausea. I leaned my head back against the wall of the alley I had landed in. There was no telling where that Angel had sent me. I could only hope it was the same Angel that had taken the Doctor and Martha.

"Wonder?" I heard a familiar voice call in confusion. I turned my head slowly and saw two blurry shapes. I blinked a few times and the figures came into focus.

"Doctor!" I gasped in relief.

He and Martha rushed over. "What happened?" He asked in concern as he knelt next to me. "You alright?"

I nodded, relaxing against him. "I'll be fine," I assured him. "When you and Martha didn't come back, I got worried. Went looking for you and noticed a message from you on the wall."

The Doctor frowned. "What message?"

"One to Sally Sparrow from you in 1969. The message said 'beware the Weeping Angel'. I knew that sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember why." I winced slightly as the baby gave another hard kick. I rubbed my hand over my belly in hopes of calming him/her.

"You sure you're ok?" The Doctor questioned in concern.

"I'm fine, the baby is just kicking really hard," I dismissed. "Anyway, by the time I remembered what Weeping Angels were, there was already an Angel standing right behind me. I tried staring at it as long as I could, but I wound up sneezing."

"You got sent back in time by the Angel because you sneezed," Martha stated.

I sent her a mock glare. "You try not to sneeze in a room full of dust."

The Doctor got to his feet and held out his hands. "We should get you back to the house. It's not good for you to be put in the cold."

I took his hands and he helped me up. "How long have you guys been here?"

"About two weeks," Martha answered.

"Where have you been staying?"

"In the old house," the Doctor said as we started walking. "Course it's not old now. Relatively new actually." I nodded, but stopped and winced again as a wave of pain shot through my abdomen. The Doctor looked at me in concern. "Wonder?"

"I'm fine," I told him. He frowned at me, unconvinced. "Traveling through the Time Vortex without a capsule just upset the baby is all." I went to take another step, but was met with another wave of pain, this one worse. My hand clenched in the fabric of my shirt, my breathing shallow as I waited for the pain to pass.

"You are most definitely not fine," the Doctor said.

"Wonder, where does it hurt?" Martha asked gently yet urgently. I didn't answer as yet another wave of pain came over me. I clenched my eyes tightly and grit my teeth against the pain. Suddenly, I felt a wetness between my legs and I froze.

"Wonder, what is it, what's wrong?" The Doctor asked, now very worried.

I slowly looked up at him, eyes wide. "I think my water just broke," I told him quietly.

The Doctor blinked in shock. "What?" My reply was cut off by another wave of pain, causing me to groan and grit my teeth.

"She's going into labor!" Martha gasped.

"But I can't! Not now!" I groaned, letting out a cry of pain.

"I'm sorry, Wonder, but the baby is coming whether you want it to or not," Martha told me. I groaned again, clenching my eyes shut against the pain. "We have to get her to the hospital!"

"No!" The Doctor protested. "We have to get her back to the house."

Martha snapped her head to him in surprise. "What?! Why?!"

"Martha, she's an alien," he pointed out. "It would be to difficult to explain why she has two hearts and a respiratory bi-pass system."

"I met you in a hospital," Martha reminded him.

"That was in 2008. We're in 1969. Besides, not everyone would be as calm as you were," the Doctor replied.

"I don't care where we go, just get me somewhere! Ah!" I cried out in pain again. My contraction were beginning to get worse.

The Doctor nodded. "Right." With a bit of difficulty, he scooped me up bridal style. "Martha, let's go." He moved down the street at a brisk walk, doing his best not to jostle me. Unfortunately, I made this a bit difficult as I kept wiggling and shifting, trying to alleviate my pain, but to no avail. After what seemed like forever, we finally arrived at the old home, except as the Doctor said, it wasn't old. It looked to be in its prime. I didn't have a chance to admire it though as another wave of pain shot through me, causing me to cry out again. "Martha, the door." Martha quickly obeyed and the Doctor hurried in. He rushed through the house and into a first floor bedroom. He gently placed me down on the bed.

"I don't understand why it's progressing so quickly!" Martha exclaimed worriedly as I groaned and shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "It's not supposed to go this fast! Is that a Time Lord thing?" She asked the Doctor.

The Doctor shook his head, trying his best to calm me down as I screamed in pain. "No, it's not. It must have been the Angel!"

"What do you mean?" Martha demanded.

"She went through the Time Vortex without a capsule WHILE pregnant! You remember how it felt when we went through?" He asked. Martha nodded. "Now imagine doing that while 12 months pregnant. Not exactly the best thing to do when she was so close to her due date!" I let out another scream as another contraction hit. "Martha, I need you to get some towels and blankets, scissors, something to clamp the umbilical cord, bowl of warm water, and some washcloth cloths," he ordered, carefully pulling off my jacket. Martha nodded and ran off. He placed a hand on my cheek, which was now needed with sweat. "You're going to be alright," he soothed. I gave him a weak smile which turned into a grimace.

Martha ran back in a moment later, her arms full of the items the Doctor requested. "Here you go," she said, dumping the items on the dresser. "Do you know how to deliver a baby?"

"I'm not going to be delivering the baby, you are," the Doctor replied, trying to sooth me as I cried out again.

"But I've only seen babies being delivered. I've never delivered one!" Martha protested.

The Doctor turned to her. "Martha, you know more about this sort of thing than I do." He grabbed her arms and gazed at her pleadingly. "Please, I need your help."

"Ok," Martha agreed shakily.

The Doctor grinned. "Right, lead on, Doctor Jones."

A determined look came across Martha's face. She slipped off her jacket. "Right, Doctor, you need to get her pants off and prop her up with pillows."

"Never heard those words come from a companion," the Doctor commented as he obeyed Martha.

"Not now," I growled painfully.

"Sorry."

The next couple hours were filled with grunting and screaming in pain as I struggled to bring the Doctor and I's child into the world. The Doctor was by my side the entire time, encouraging me. Finally, 12 months of hard work was rewarded by the soft cries of a baby. I sank back against my pillows, completely exhausted. "You did it," the Doctor told me, kissing the top of my head happily.

"It's a boy!" Martha informed us with a relieved smile. She quickly grabbed one of the blankets and wrapped it around the baby. She then carefully passed him to me and left the room.

"Hello," I whispered to my son, tears pricking at the corner of my eyes. "I'm you're mother." While his hair was only peach fuzz at the moment, I could tell it was brown like his father's. When he opened his eyes, I grinned even more. His eyes were the same bright turquoise as mine.

"He's beautiful," the Doctor murmured, reaching over and softly running a finger over his son's hand. "What are we going to name him?"

"Tyler," I replied without a moment's hesitation. "Tyler Jack Smith, in memory of the friends we have lost."

The Doctor gave me a soft smile. "It's perfect."

"Would you like to hold him?" I asked.

The Doctor's eyes widened slightly. "What if I drop him?"

"You're not going to drop him," I assured him. I held Tyler out to him and he took him in his arms cautiously, as if he were afraid to break him. After a moment of holding his son, however, he relaxed and gazed down at his son with a loving smile. "We still need to give him a Gallifreyan name," I pointed out.

"We could name him after your father," he suggested.

I cocked an eyebrow. "Copernicus, really, Theta?"

"How about Apollo, after my grandfather?" I thought about it for a moment. I had met Theta's grandfather not too long after we had become friends. The old Time Lord had immediately taking a liking to me. He always told Theta and I stories about the trouble he got into while he was at the academy. He was the first to notice that Theta and I had feelings for each other, even before Theta and I figured it out. He had even tried to get Theta's father to change his mind about Theta's arranged marriage, course it hadn't worked.

I smiled. "I think that's a good fit," I agreed. When Martha came back, she took Tyler and cleaned him up. The Doctor helped me up and into the bathroom so I could get cleaned up myself. Once I was dressed in a borrowed set of Martha's clothes and back in bed, Martha handed Tyler back to me so I could feed him. When he had finished, the Doctor set up a circle of blankets on the bed and I gently placed our son in them. I laid back against my pillow and softly stroked Tyler's tiny arm with a finger. The Doctor sat next to me on the bed, gazing lovingly at his son. We had both waited so long for this moment and now we could hardly believe that it had finally come. We finally had a child.

I woke up the next morning to the sound of a baby crying. I let out a tired sigh and sat up, rubbing my bleary eyes. It wasn't until I opened my eyes that I realized the crying wasn't coming from beside me, it was coming from the kitchen. I got to my feet, slipped on a dressing gown, and padded out of the room. I walked into the kitchen and found the Doctor bouncing a crying Tyler in his arms. "Having some trouble?" I asked.

"He's been crying for almost half an hour," he told me. "He just won't stop."

"He's probably hungry," I said, walking over and gently taking Tyler from him. I moved into the living room and sat in the rocking chair. I slipped off my robe and used it to cover myself as I fed my infant son.

The Doctor stood in the doorway with his arms crossed as he watched me. "I don't remember my kids crying this much when they were born," he commented.

"Babies cry, Theta," I told him. "It's kind of the only way they can communicate." We were quiet for a few minutes as Tyler finished. I put him over my shoulder and gently patted his back to burp him. I glanced to the side and noticed a partially put together crib. "Where did that come from?"

"Oh, Martha did a little shopping over her lunch break," he replied. "She picked up a crib and some clothes for Tyler along with some extra clothes for you."

I smiled. "That Martha is a star."

"Yeah, she is," the Doctor agreed.

"And she had to put up with you by herself for, what was it? Two weeks?" I teased, shifting Tyler slightly.

"Oh hush, I'm not that bad."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Have you blown anything up?"

"I...may have blown up a few chickens," he admitted sheepishly.

I blinked in surprise. "You blew up...chickens?" I asked slowly. "How on EARTH did you manage to do that?"

"I was making a timey-wimey detector," he defended. "I had to be able to tell when the Weeping Angels sent Billy Shipton back in time. It's how Martha and I found you."

"Who's Billy Shipton?"

"The man Sally said we need to wait for," he explained. "We have everything we need to get the TARDIS back in that folder Sally gave me. We just have to wait for the right time."

"Oh." I stopped patting Tyler's back as he let out a small burp.

The rest of the day was spent going over the file Sally gave the Doctor and feeding Tyler ever couple hours. I was in the kitchen fixing dinner while the Doctor watched Tyler when I heard Martha come back. "Hey, Martha," I greeted as she wandered into the room.

"Hey, Wonder," the med student replied tiredly.

I frowned in concern. "You look exhausted."

"It was a long day. Training to be a doctor and I'm waiting tables," she grumbled, sitting down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs.

"Well, maybe some spaghetti and garlic bread will help you feel better," I told her with a smile.

"That would actually, yeah."

"Well, better go get change. Dinner will be ready in a few." Martha nodded and hurried off to change. I turned off the burner for the noodles and drained them. I gave the sauce a final stir then turned the burner off and quickly reached into the oven to get the bread.

"Smells good," the Doctor complimented as he entered the kitchen. He had finished putting together the crib earlier and Tyler had been sleeping in it all afternoon apart waking up every couple hours to be fed. Martha came back and we all sat down to eat. Martha told us about her day at the diner and we told her about our progress or lack thereof on the folder from Sally.

To help stave off our boredom, I suggested that we record the video that was supposed to go on all of Sally's dvds. Martha managed to borrow a video camera from her boss. I helped the Doctor set up the the camera and Autocue and stood behind him as he sat in the chair.

 **LARRY: Okay. There he is.  
SALLY: The Doctor.  
LARRY: Who's the Doctor?  
SALLY: He's the Doctor.**

"Yep. That's me," the Doctor replied to the autocue.

 **SALLY: Okay, that was scary.  
LARRY: No, it sounds like he's replying, but he always says that.**

"Yes, I do."

 **LARRY: And that.**

"Yep, and this."

 **SALLY: He can hear us. Oh, my gosh, you can really hear us!  
LARRY: Of course he can't hear us. Look! I've got a transcript, see, everything he says. "Yep, that's me". "Yes, I do". "Yep, and this". Next it's...**

"Are you going to read out the whole thing?" the Doctor said along with Larry.

"Doctor, be nice," I scolded lightly, though my lips twitched in a smile.

 **LARRY: Sorry.  
SALLY: Who are you?**

"I'm a time traveller. Or I was. I'm stuck in 1969," the Doctor answered.

"We're stuck," Martha complained, poking her head into the frame. " All of space and time, they promised me. Now I've got a job in a shop, I've got to support them!"

"Martha!" The Doctor wined.

"Sorry." Martha stepped back out of the frame.

 **SALLY: I've seen this bit before.**

The Doctor nodded. "Quite possibly."

 **SALLY: 1969, that's where you're talking from?**

"'Fraid so."

 **SALLY: But you're replying to me. You can't know exactly what I'm gonna say, 40 years before I say it!**

"38," I corrected.

 **LARRY: I'm getting this down! I'm writing in your bits.  
SALLY: How? How is this possible? Tell me!  
LARRY: Not so fast.**

"People don't understand time. It's not what you think it is," the Doctor told her.

 **SALLY: Then what is it?**

"Complicated," he replied simply.

 **SALLY: Tell me.**

"Very complicated," he repeated.

 **SALLY: I'm clever and I'm listening. And don't patronise me because people have died, and I'm not happy. Tell me.** I smiled at Sally's persistent attitude.

"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey...stuff," the Doctor finished awkwardly, causing me to raise an eyebrow at him.

 **SALLY: Yeah, I've seen this bit before. You said that sentence got away from you.**

"It got away from me, yeah," the Doctor sighed.

 **SALLY: Next thing you're going to say is, "Well, I can hear you".**

"Well, I can hear you."

 **SALLY: This isn't possible.  
LARRY: No. It's brilliant!**

"He can't hear you exactly, but he does know everything you're going to say," I explained.

 **LARRY: Always gives me the shivers, that bit.  
SALLY: How can you know what I'm going to say?**

"Look to your left," the Doctor said.

 **LARRY: What does he mean by, "Look to your left"? I've written tons about that on the forums. I think it's a political statement.  
SALLY: He means you. What are you doing?  
LARRY: I'm writing in your bits. So I've got a complete transcript of the whole conversation. Wait until this hits the net. This will explode the egg forums.**

"I've got a copy of the finished transcript. It's on my Autocue."

 **SALLY: How can you have a copy of the finished transcript? It is still being written.**

"I told you. I'm a time traveller. I got it in the future," the Doctor said.

 **SALLY: Okay, let me get my head 'round this. You're reading from a transcript of a conversation you're still having? Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey. Actually, never mind that.**

"What matters is we can communicate. We have got big problems now. They've taken the blue box, haven't they? The angels have the phone box," the Doctor said seriously.

 **SALLY: What do you mean, angels? You mean those statue things?**

"Creatures from another world."

 **SALLY: But they're just statues.**

"Only when you see them."

 **SALLY: What does that mean?**

"Lonely assassins, they were called. No-one knows where they came from. They're as old as the universe, or very nearly. They've survived this long as they have the most perfect defence system ever evolved. They are quantum-locked. They don't exist when being observed. The moment they're seen by any other living creature they freeze into rock. No choice. It's a fact of their biology. In the sight of any living thing, they literally turn to stone. And you can't kill a stone. Course, a stone can't kill you either. But then you turn your head away, then you blink, and oh, yes it can!" The Doctor explained. "That's why they cover their eyes. They're not weeping, they can't risk looking at each other. Their greatest asset is their greatest curse. They can never be seen. The loneliest creatures in the universe. And I'm sorry, I am very, very sorry, it's up to you now."

 **SALLY: What am I supposed to do?**

"The blue box, it's my time machine. There is a world of time energy in there they could feast on forever. The damage they can do can switch off the sun. You have got to send it back to me!" The Doctor finished reading as the transcript ran out. "And that's it, I'm afraid. There's no more from you on the transcript, that's all I've got. I dunno what stopped you talking, but I can guess. They're coming. The angels are coming for you. But listen, your life could depend on this. Don't blink! Don't even blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast, faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink! Good luck!"

"I sure hope she's ok," I said apprehensively.

"I'm sure she's fine," the Doctor assured me.

The next couple of weeks consisted of the same routine. Martha would go to work while the Doctor and I stayed back. I had tried to convince the Doctor to get a job, but after he told me what happened at the last three jobs he tried, I let the subject drop. I could tell he was getting a bit stir crazy. I once caught him taking apart the toaster and had to scold him for doing it near Tyler who was sleeping on the couch next to him. I could hardly blame him for being bored though. Neither one of us was used to stay in one place for so long, so he understandably got very excited when his Timey Wimey detector went off in the middle of dinner one night. "Oh, that has to be Billy!" The Doctor exclaimed excitedly.

"It's about time," I muttered. "Well, you and Martha better go meet him and give him his instructions."

The Doctor nodded and quickly stood up, kissing the top of my head and grabbing his machine. "We'll be back soon," he promised as he dashed out, Martha hot on his heels. I chuckled quietly and stood up and began cleaning up the kitchen. I was interrupted with cleaning by Tyler crying in the bedroom. I sighed and put down my rag.

I went back into the Doctor and I's bedroom. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" I asked gently. "Are you hungry again?" I reached into the crib and lifted him out. I had just finished burping him when I heard the front door open. I walked into the living room where I heard the Doctor talking. As I entered the room, I noticed a young, dark skinned man sitting on the couch, looking visibly shaken. "I take it this is Billy?" I asked, standing next to the Doctor while patting a sleeping Tyler.

"Yup," the Doctor confirmed, popping the 'p'. "Bill Shipton, I would like you to meet my wife, Wonder, and our son, Tyler. Billy nodded in acknowledgement.

"What was the message you wanted me to give Sally?" Billy asked the Doctor.

"Tell her to look at the list," the Doctor told him.

"Look at the list?" Billy questioned, brows furrowed in confusion.

The Doctor nodded. "She should have it by now. A list of seventeen dvds that she owns. You'll need to put this on them," he said, searching through his pockets and pulling out the recording we made.

Billy took the recording from the Doctor and stared at the floor. "What am I going to do now?" He asked quietly.

"Well, you can stay here for a few days," I offered. "At least until you can get a job and find a place of your own."

Billy gave me a small smile. "Thank you."

Thankfully, it wasn't hard for Billy to find a job. We gave him enough money to put a down payment on an apartment and I sent him off with several containers of food. The Doctor spent the next couple of days writing a message to Sally behind the wallpaper. It wasn't too long after that when the three of us heard a familiar whirring. I grinned as our beloved blue box materialized into the room. "I've never realized how much I love that sound." The Doctor wasted no time, early getting to his feet and unlocking the doors. I scooped up Tyler and followed after Martha. "Look, sweetie, this is our home." I chuckled quietly as the TARDIS gave a happy hum in greeting.

"Everything appears to be in order," the Doctor announced after checking around the console. "Time to get out of here. Allonsy!" He flipped a switch with a flourish and sent us spiraling into the Time Vortex.

* * *

 **The baby has been born and he has a name! I want to thank everyone who submitted names! They were all such great names and I had a really hard time choosing. The Gallifreyan name Apollo was submitted by Books-and-Cleverness-394. The name Tyler Jack was submitted by I'm Clara Oswald. I'm hoping the next chapter won't take as long since spring break is in a couple weeks and I should have plenty of time then to work on it. Till then, please review and let me know your thoughts! Oh, this chapter has been edited by my wonderful beta reader, LilactheDryad. Thanks guys!  
**


	41. Utopia

**Hello readers! Viola! I have finally finished the next chapter. The end was hard to work out, but I managed it. I spent the last week studying for my Animal Nutrition exam on Monday and I still don't have my scores back! My professor is still waiting for a few people to take the exam while the rest of the class waits with baited breath for our scores. Happens every time too. Also, I've been sick with a head cold since Friday. Got a nice 4 hour nap yesterday though. :) Anyway, enough of my rambling. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Cardiff," the Doctor declared happily, landing the TARDIS with thud.

"Cardiff?" Martha asked in confusion and slight air of disappointment.

"Ah, but the thing about Cardiff is that it's built on a rift in time and space-just like California and the San Andreas Fault. The rift BLEEDS energy," the Doctor explained. "Every now and then I need to open up the engines, soak up the energy and use it as fuel."

"So it's a pit stop," Martha summed up.

"Yup," I replied as I fed Tyler another spoonful of baby food. He was about six months now and basically a hyperactive bundle of joy. He still slept quite a bit, but when he was awake, he could hardly ever sit still for more than a few seconds. Much like his father, he usually always had something in his hand to occupy him. Currently, he had a rattle in the shape of a TARDIS and he was waving it around, giggling happily as I fed him. The TARDIS thankfully provided a car seat that could be strapped to the captain's seat so I didn't have to be constantly holding onto Tyler as the TARDIS rocked about in flight. I held the spoonful of baby food in front of him and he opened his mouth eagerly, waving his TARDIS rattle around.

"Wait a minute. They had an earthquake in Cardiff a couple years ago," Martha recalled. "Was that you?"

"Bit of trouble with the Slitheen," the Doctor shrugged. "Long time ago. Lifetimes. I was a different man back then."

"Leather suited you back then," I told him, feeding Tyler another spoonful.

"Are you saying it doesn't suit me now?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yes," I replied. "This you looks much better in a pinstriped suit."

The Doctor grinned at me. "I do, don't I," he said, adjusting is tie in a narcissistic manner, causing me to roll my eyes at him. He looked around as the console beeped, signaling the TARDIS was fueled up. "Finito. All powered up." He paused to look at the monitor and I felt a flash of panic from him.

" _Theta?_ " I asked in confusion. He didn't reply as he flipped a switch and sent the TARDIS into the Time Vortex. Suddenly, the console sparked and the TARDIS gave a violent jolt, throwing Martha, the Doctor, and I to the floor while Tyler squealed in delight and shook his rattle. Thank goodness I had just finished feeding him.

"What's that?" Martha asked as she pulled herself up onto the console and held on for dear life.

"We're accelerating into the future," the Doctor announced in confusion. "The year one billion. Five billion. Five trillion. 50 trillion. What? The year 100 trillion. That's impossible!"

"Why? What happens then?"

"We're going to the end of the universe."

"What did you do?!" I demanded, clinging tightly to the console.

"Why are you assuming I did something?!" The Doctor snapped, avoiding my question.

"Because it's usually because you DID do something!" I shot back. He was saved from answering as the TARDIS landed with a thud. We all looked at each other.

"Well, we've landed," the Doctor stated.

"So what's out there?" Martha asked apprehensively.

The Doctor shrugged. "I don't know."

Martha let out a nervous laugh. "Say that again. That's rare."

"Not even the Time Lords came this far. We should leave. We should go. We should really, really... go." He trailed off and looked at Martha and I. He then grinned widely and ran for the door. "Outside is a bleak landscape." I rolled my eyes and walked over to get Tyler, who was still happily banging his rattle, having enjoyed the wild ride. I strapped him into a baby sling in front of me and headed out after the Doctor and Martha. I stepped back in surprise as Martha rushed by me.

"What was that abo-" I started to ask the Doctor, but cut myself I spotted a very familiar figure lying on the ground. "Oh my gosh! Jack!" I stared down at the man in shock. He looked exactly the same as when I first met him, though there was something about him that felt off.

"Here we go. Out of the way," Martha ordered, shoving the Doctor out of the way as she ran back out. She knelt beside Jack with her medical kit. "It's a bit odd, though. Not very 100 trillion, that coat's more like World War II."

"I think he came with us," the Doctor said.

Martha glanced back at the Doctor in confusion. "How d'you mean? From Earth?"

The Doctor nodded. "Must've been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS all the way through the vortex. Well, that very him."

Martha blinked in surprise. "What? Do you know him?"

"Friend of mine, well ours," the Doctor replied, nodding to me. "Used to travel with me. Back in the old days."

"But he's, I'm sorry, there's no heartbeat," Martha told us, giving us a sympathetic look. "There's nothing. He's dead." Suddenly, Jack gasped, causing Martha to scream and me to jump. "Oh well, so much for me," she mumbled, quickly getting over her shock. "It's all right. Just breathe deep. I've got you now."

Jack eyed Martha appreciatively. "Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?" He asked, flashing his trademark smirk.

"Martha Jones," Martha replied.

Jack grinned. "Nice to meet you, Martha Jones."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't start!"

"I was just saying hello," Jack snapped.

Martha smiled at us bashfully. "I don't mind." She helped Jack get to his feet.

Jack noticed me and grinned. "Els!"

I smiled at his human nickname for me. "Good to see you, Jack," I told him.

He stepped forward to hug me, but stopped when he noticed Tyler. "And who is this fellow?" He asked, bending down so he was eye level with Tyler.

"Jack, meet Tyler," I introduced and Tyler gurgled in greeting as he chewed on one of the sling straps. "The Doctor and I's son."

"Your son?" Jack questioned. A smirk slid onto his face. "I told you he liked you." I rolled my eyes, but smiled.

"Yes, he did," I said. "Though it did help that I turned out to be a Time Lady from his past."

Jack gave me a curious look. "A Time Lady?"

I nodded. "Yup. I go by Wonder now."

Jack smiled. "Well, Time Lady or not, you'll always be Els to me." He then turned to the Doctor, his gaze turning cold. "Doctor."

"Captain," the Doctor replied, staring right back.

' _Men_ ,' I thought, glancing between the two men who looked like two bulls ready to charge.

"Good to see you."

"And you. Same as ever... although... have you had work done?" The Doctor asked.

"You can talk!" Jack scoffed. The Doctor furrowed his brows for a moment.

"He means the regeneration, dear," I told my husband with a sigh.

"Oh yes, the face. Regeneration. How did you know this was me?" The Doctor asked Jack.

"The police box kinda gives it away," Jack pointed out. "I've been following you for a long time. You abandoned me."

"Did I?" The Doctor asked nonchalantly. "Busy life. Move on."

A solemn look came across Jack's face. "Just gotta ask. The Battle of Canary Wharf. I saw the list of the dead. It said Rose Tyler."

"Oh no! Sorry! She's alive!" The Doctor replied happily.

"You're kidding?!" Jack asked in relief.

"Parallel world safe and sound," the Doctor confirmed. "And Mickey! And her mother!"

Jack grinned. "Oh yes!" He hugged the Doctor in relief and they both laughed. I chuckled at their antics, swaying slightly for Tyler's amusement. Neither of them have changed.

"Good old Rose," I heard Martha mumbled. I turned to the medical student, giving her a sympathetic look. I knew when she first started traveling with us she had felt she was competing with Rose. I thought we had gotten past that, but apparently she still felt like she was competing with our lost companion.

"Anyway, come on," the Doctor said. "Let's go find out where we are." Jack picked up a backpack that had been lying next to him when we found him and swung it over his shoulder.

"So how did you end up in Cardiff?" I asked Jack as we walked. "Last time I saw you, we were on Satellite Five."

"Funny story actually," Jack said. "So there I was, stranded in the year 200,100, ankle-deep in Dalek dust, and he goes off without me, taking you and Rose with him. But I had this." He taped the machine on his wrist and showed it to Martha. "I used to be a Time Agent. It's called a vortex manipulator. He's not the only one who can time travel."

"Oh, excuse me. That is not time travel," the Doctor scoffed. "It's like I've got a sports car and you've got a space hopper."

"Boys and their toys," Martha laughed.

"Tell me about it," I agreed.

"All right, so I bounced," Jack admitted grudgingly. "I thought: 21st century, best place to find the Doctor, except that I got it a little wrong. I arrived in 1869 and this thing burnt out so it was useless."

"Told you," the Doctor said smugly, causing me to roll my eyes.

Jack ignored him and continued. "I had to live through the entire 20th century waiting for a version of you that would coincide with me." I blinked, a bit confused.

"That makes you more than 100 years old," Martha stated, sounding as confused as I was. Jack may be a former Time Agent, but he was still human. How could he live for that long?

"And looking good, doncha think?" Jack replied proudly. "So I went to the time rift, based myself thing 'cause I knew you'd come back to refuel. Until finally I get a signal on this detecting you and here we are."

"But the thing is, how come you left him behind, Doctor?" Martha asked.

"I was busy," the Doctor replied evasively.

"What, singing a song to make the Daleks run away?" I questioned. The Doctor remained quiet. I knew the Doctor had left him behind, he had said it was so Jack could rebuild the Earth. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember much of what happened after I took in the Time Vortex. Could I have done something that caused the Doctor to leave him behind and did it have anything to do with Jack feeling so wrong?

"Is that what happens, though? Seriously?" Martha demanded. "Do you just get bored with us one day and disappear?"

"Not if you're blonde." Jack said.

"Jack," I groaned.

"Oh, she was blonde? Oh, what a surprise?" Martha said sarcastically, throwing her arms up.

"You two!" The Doctor exclaimed, turning around. "We're at the end of the universe. All right? We're at the edge of knowledge itself and you're busy... blogging! Come on." We walked to the edge of a canyon that looked like it once held a city. The way the city was built into the ground with what looked like pathways winding throughout, it reminded me of an anthill.

"Is that a city?" Martha asked.

"A city or a hive," the Doctor answered. "Or a nest. Or a conglomeration. Looks like it was grown. But look there. That's like pathways, roads... Must have been some sort of life. Long ago."

"What killed it?"

"Time," I answered simply.

"Everything's dying now," the Doctor added. "All the great civilizations have gone. This isn't just night. All the stars have burned up and faded away into nothing."

"It must have an atmospheric shell. We should be frozen to death," Jack pointed out.

"Well, Martha, Wonder, Tyler, and I, maybe. Not so sure about you, Jack," the Doctor said, giving Jack a knowing look. I frowned in confusion. What did he mean by that?

"What about the people? Does no one survive?" Martha asked sadly.

"I suppose we have to hope. Life will find a way," the Doctor told her.

"Well, he's not doin' too bad," Jack said. We all looked around to where Jack was indicating. A ways away we could see a man running flat out, barely managing to stay ahead of the mob caring torches behind him.

"Is it me, or does that look like a hunt?" I asked.

"Come on!" The Doctor shouted, running off towards the man. Jack, Martha, and I quickly followed.

"Oh, I've missed this!" Jack said as we ran. I was having a bit of difficulty keeping up since I didn't want to jostle Tyler too much, although he didn't seem to mind too much as he squealed in delight. We reached the man and Jack grabbed him. "I've got you."

"We've gotta run! They're coming! They're coming!" The man insisted desperately. Jack passed the man to the Doctor and pulled out his revolver, aiming it at the mob. I quickly covered Tyler's ears.

"Jack, don't you dare!" The Doctor warned. Jack glanced back at the Doctor before aiming his gun into the air and firing. The mob stopped.

"What the heck are they?" Martha demanded.

"There's more of them. We've got to keep going," the man insisted again.

"I've got a ship nearby," the Doctor told him. "It's safe. It's not far, it's just over there." We looked back the way we had come to see the rest of the hunting party. "Or maybe not."

"We're close to the silo. If we get to the silo, then we're safe," the man said.

"Silo?" The Doctor asked us.

"Silo," Jack agreed.

"Silo for me," Martha added.

"Sounds like a plan," I said. The five of us bolted in the opposite direction of the mobs, following the man. In the distance, I could see some sort of encampment.

"It's the Futurekind! Open the gate!" The man shouted as we neared the gate.

"Show me your teeth!" The guard ordered. "Show me your teeth! Show me your teeth!"

"Show them your teeth.," the man told us. We all bared our teeth.

"Human! Let 'em in! Let 'em in!" The guard said. The gates opened and we rushed inside. "Close! Close! Close!" The guard fired his gun at the Futurekind, causing them to skid to a halt.

"Humans. Humani. Make feast," the one that looked like the leader growled.

"Go back to where you came from. I said go back! Go back!" The guard ordered, aiming his gun at them.

"Oh, don't tell him to put down his gun," Jack accused the Doctor.

"He's not my responsibility," the Doctor replied.

"And I am? That makes a change," Jack scoffed.

"Kind watch you. Kind hungry," the Futurekind leader threatened. He growled angrily and signaled for his group to leave.

"Thanks for that," the Doctor told the guard.

"Right. Let's get you inside," the guard said.

"My name is Padrafet Shafekane. Please tell me, can you take me to Utopia?" The man asked.

"Oh yes, sir. Yes, I can," the guard replied proudly. The guard led us into a large tunnel carved into a mountain and passed us off to another man.

"Welcome to the silo," the man greeted. "I'm Atillo and who would you be?"

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack introduced, winking at Atillo.

"Jack…." I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Now's not the time."

"I'm Martha," Martha added.

"I'm the Doctor and this is my wife Wonder and son Tyler," the Doctor finished. I smiled at Atillo in greeting.

"A doctor huh?" Atillo mused. "Doctor of what?"

"Oh, little bit of everything," the Doctor replied with a shrug.

Atillo raised his eyebrows. "Of everything huh? I'm sure the Professor could use your help." He pulled out a walkie talkie. "Professor, we have four new humans. One of them is calling himself a doctor."

" **Of medicine?** " We heard the Professor ask.

"He says of everything," Atillo answered.

" **A scientist! Oh my word! I'm coming!** " The Professor replied excitedly.

"Now, I need my ship," the Doctor said as Atillo returned the walkie talkie to its holster. "It's a box, a big blue box. I'm sorry, but I really need it back. It's stuck out there."

"I'm sorry, but my family were heading for the silo. Did they get here?" Padrafet asked the guard desperately. "My mother is Kistane Shafekane. My brother is Beltone."

"The computers are down but you can check the paperwork," the guard said. "Creet! Passenger needs help." A young boy no older than 10 came around the corner holding a clipboard.

"Right. What d'you need?" Creet asked in a heavy Scottish accent. Padra walked over and looked at Creet's clipboard.

"A blue box, you said," Atillo asked the Doctor.

The Doctor nodded. "Big, tall, wooden. Says 'Police'."

"We're driving out for a last water collection. I'll see what I can do," Atillo said.

"Thank you."

"Come on," Creet beckoned Padra.

"Sorry, but how old are you?" Martha asked the boy.

"Old enough to work," Creet replied. "This way."

"Don't they still have child labor laws?" Martha wondered, staring after the boy in shock.

"We're at the end of the universe, Martha," I reminded her. "They probably got rid of those a long time ago."

"Kistane Shafekane. Kistane Shafekane. Kistane and Beltone Shafekane?" Creet called as we followed him through the halls lined with refugees. "Looking for a Kistane and Beltone Shafekane."

"It's like a refugee camp," Martha remarked, looking around at all the people dressed in rags.

"Stinking," Jack agreed. He received a stern look from a rather large man as we passed. "Ooh, sorry. No offence."

"Don't you see that? The ripe old smell of humans. You survived," the Doctor laughed joyfully. "Oh, much better than a million years evolving into clouds of gas. And then another million as downloads, but you always revert to the same basic shape. The fundamental humans. End of the universe and here you are."

"Indomitable I believe is the appropriate word," I said and Tyler gurgled in agreement.

"That's the word! Indomitable! Ha!" The Doctor laughed.

"Is there a Kistane Shafekane?" Creet called again.

"That's me," a woman announced.

"Mother?" Padra gasped. He ran over and embraced his family.

"It's not all bad news," Martha said, smiling at the family reunion. The four of us continued walking, stopping at a door. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

Jack smirked flirtatiously as a man passed by. "Captain Jack Harkness," he introduced, shaking the man's hand. "And who are you?"

"Every time, Jack, really?" I asked exasperatedly. "Get over here and help with this door." Jack reluctantly let go of the man's hand and joined the Doctor, Martha, Tyler, and I.

"It's half deadlocked. See if you can overwrite the code," the Doctor told him. Jack got to work on the keypad while the Doctor continued to work on the door. "Let's find out where we are." The door slid open and I let out a squeak of surprise as the Doctor almost fell out.

Thankfully Jack quickly grabbed him and pulled him back to safety. "Gotcha."

"Thanks," the Doctor said while I let out a frustrated sigh at his carelessness.

"How did you cope without me?" Jack asked.

"That's what I'm for," I replied, giving my husband an annoyed look. "Making sure this klutz doesn't kill himself."

"Sorry," the Doctor replied sheepishly.

"Now that is what I call a rocket," Martha gasped, gaping at the giant rocket sitting in the middle of the silo.

"They're not refugees, they're passengers," the Doctor said.

"He said they were going to Utopia," Martha recalled.

"The perfect place," I said. "End of the universe and the dream hasn't changed."

"Do you recognize those engines?" The Doctor asked Jack.

Jack shook his head. "Nope. Whatever it is, it's not rocket science. But it's hot, though."

"Boiling," the Doctor agreed. We stepped back and Jack closed the door. "But if the universe is falling apart, what does Utopia mean?"

Suddenly an old man jogged up to us. He glanced between the Doctor and Jack curiously. "The Doctor?" He asked Jack.

"That's me," the Doctor announced, waving his hand.

The man grinned widely and grabbed the Doctor's hand. "Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good," he exclaimed, dragging the Doctor with him as he jogged back the way he had come.

"It's good apparently," the Doctor told us. The rest of us followed in confusion. The man, who I assumed was the Professor Atillo was talking to earlier, led us to what looked to be some sort of lab/work space.

"Chan, welcome, tho," a blue, female, bug like alien greeted with bow of her head as we entered the room after the Doctor and the Professor.

"Hello. Who are you?" Martha asked her.

"Chan, Chantho, tho," the alien replied cheerfully. Tyler, who was currently chewing on his fist, stared at her with curiosity.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack introduced with his usual flirtatious smirk.

"Stop it," the Doctor warned, looking up briefly from the machine he was examining.

"Can't I say hello to anyone?" Jack asked.

"Chan, I do not protest, tho," Chantho replied, blushing.

"Maybe later, Blue," Jack told her, winking. Jack walked further into the room, taking off his backpack and setting it down. I gave his backpack a curious glance. There was a strange sound coming from it. Martha seemed to have heard it too. She walked over to examine it. "So, what have we got here?"

"And all this feeds into the rocket?" The Doctor asked the Professor, gesturing to all the machinery.

The Professor nodded. "Yeah, except without a stable footprint we'll never achieve escape velocity. If only we could harmonize the five impact patterns and unify them, well, we might yet make it," the man said. He looked at the Doctor hopefully. "What do you think, Doctor? Any ideas?"

"Well, um, basically... sort of... not a clue," the Doctor replied.

"Nothing?" The Professor asked, sounding surprised.

The Doctor gave him an apologetic look. "I'm not from around these parts. I've never seen a system like it. Sorry."

"No, no. I'm sorry. It's my fault. There's been so little help," the Professor said dejectedly.

"Oh my gosh," Martha exclaimed, causing all of us to look around. She pulled a large jar out of Jack's backpack. We all walked over and my eyes widened in surprise when I noticed the jar had a hand in it. "You've got a hand. A hand in a jar. A hand in a jar in your bag."

"That's, that's my hand!" The Doctor realized, furrowing his brows in confusion.

Jack shrugged. "I said I had a Doctor detector."

"Chan, is this a tradition amongst your people, tho?" Chantho asked in confusion.

"Not on my street!" Martha scoffed. "What d'you mean that's your hand? You've got both your hands, I can see them."

"Idiot lost it in a fight against the Sycorax Leader," I told her, pulling my hair away from Tyler as he was about to put it in his mouth. "Made for an interesting Christmas."

Martha glanced at me then back to the Doctor. "What? And you grew another hand?"

"Um yeah. Yeah, I did. Yeah. Hello," the Doctor said, wiggling his fingers at her.

"Might I ask what species are you?" The Professor asked curiously.

"Time Lord," the Doctor answered. "Last of. Well, not exactly last of. There's my wife, Wonder and son Tyler. So technically the last three. Heard of them?" The Professor gave the Doctor a blank look. "Legend or anything? Not even a myth?" I chuckled quietly as the Professor continued to stare blankly at him. The Doctor sighed. "Blimey, end of the universe is a bit humbling."

I patted his shoulder sympathetically. "And goodness knows you could use that. Your ego is big enough as it is." He pouted at me, causing me to chuckle.

"Chan, it is said that I am the last of my species too, tho," Chantho said.

"Sorry, what was your name?" The Doctor asked her.

"My assistant and good friend, Chantho," the Professor introduced. "A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge."

"So, that city out there was yours?" I asked.

Chantho nodded. "Chan, the conglomeration died, tho."

"Conglomeration!" The Doctor exclaimed happily. "That's what I said! Ow!"

"Tyler," I scolded lightly. The 6 month old had taken a sudden interest in his father's hair and decided he wanted a handful.

"You're supposed to say sorry," Jack said, giving the Doctor a pointed look.

"Oh, yes. Sorry," the Doctor apologized with a wince as I gently untangled Tyler's hand from his father's hair.

"Chan, most grateful, tho," Chantho said.

"You grew another hand?" Martha asked, still staring at the Doctor in surprise.

The Doctor wiggled his fingers at her again. "Hello again. It's fine. Look. Really, it's me." He shook Martha's hand.

Martha laughed nervously and shook her head. "All this time and you're still full of surprises." The Doctor clicked his tongue and winked.

"Chan, you are most unusual, tho," Chantho remarked.

"You have no idea," I said with a quiet laugh, sitting down on the couch and taking Tyler out of his sling. I sat him on my lap, pulled a chewing ring from my pocket, and handed it to Tyler who immediately started gnawing on it.

"So, what about those things outside?" Jack asked. "The Beastie Boys. What are they?"

"We call them the Futurekind," the Professor said. "Which is a myth in itself, but, uh, it is feared they are what we will become. Unless we reach Utopia."

"And Utopia is…" The Doctor trailed off, looking at the Professor questioningly.

"Oh, every human knows of Utopia. Where have you been?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Bit of a hermit."

The Professor raised his eyebrows. "A hermit with not only friends, but a wife and child?"

"Hermits United. We meet up every ten years. Swap stories about caves. It's good fun... for a hermit," The Doctor replied. "So, um, Utopia?"

The Professor motioned us to follow. He led us over to a machine that showed a navigational chart with a red dot. "The call came from across the stars over and over again. Come to Utopia. Originated from that point."

"Where is that?" I asked, shifting Tyler so he sat more comfortably on my hip.

"Oh, it's far beyond the Condensate Wilderness. Out towards the wildlands and the dark matter reefs. Calling us in," the Professor said. "The last of the humans. Scattered across the night."

"What do you think's out there?" The Doctor asked.

The Professor shrugged with a sigh. "I don't know. A colony, a city, some sort of haven? The Science Foundation created the Utopia Project thousands of years ago to preserve mankind, to find a way of surviving beyond the collapse of reality itself. Now perhaps they found it. Perhaps not. But it's worth a look, don't you think?"

The Doctor smiled. "Oh yes. And the signal keeps modulating, so it's not automatic. There's a good sign." He continued talking, not seeming to notice the Professor wasn't listening. His eyes had glazed over as if his mind was somewhere else. "Someone's out there. And that's... ooh, that's a navigation matrix, isn't it? So you can fly without stars to guide you." I nudged the Doctor and nodded to the Professor. "Professor? Professor?" He asked.

The Professor shook his head. "I... Right, that's enough talk. There's work to do. Now if you could leave. Thank you." He walked off.

"You all right?" I asked in concern.

"Yes. I'm fine! And busy!" The Professor dismissed.

"Except that rocket's not going to fly, is it?" The Doctor asked, though it was more a statement than a question. "This footprint mechanism thing, it's not working."

"We'll find a way!" The Professor insisted.

"You're stuck on this planet. And you haven't told them, have you? That lot out there, they still think they're gonna fly."

"Well, it's better to let them live in hope," the Professor replied sadly. I smiled slightly. He was right, hope could be a powerful thing.

"Quite right, too," the Doctor said. "And I must say, Professor…" He took off his coat and passed it to Jack as he walked by. "Um, what was it?"

"Yana," the Professor supplied.

"Professor Yana. This new science is well beyond me, but all the same, a boost reversal circuit, in any time frame, must be a circuit which reverses the boost. So, I wonder, what would happen if I did this?" The Doctor picked up the circuit board, soniced it with his screwdriver, and switched it on. Power surged through the machinery.

"Chan, it's working, tho!" Chantho exclaimed excitedly.

"But how did you do that?" Yana asked the Doctor.

"Oh, we've been chatting away. I forgot to tell you, I'm brilliant," the Doctor announced smugly.

"And that's as humble as he gets," I mumbled earning a pout from my husband. "Come on, we have some work to do."

"Right, Martha, Chantho, we're going to need more circuit boards," the Doctor said as he began dashing around the machines. The two complied as a Atillo came over the intercom alerting all passengers to begin boarding. I went over to one of the many bits of circuitry and got to work after setting Tyler down on a blanket full of toys to keep him occupied. I glanced over at the Doctor who was working on a large circuit board. I noticed him sniff one of the wires he was messing with.

"Is this...?" He asked Yana who was working on the other side.

"Yes, gluten extract. Binds the neutralino map together," Yana explained.

"But that's food. You've built this system out of food and string and staples. Professor Yana, you're a genius," the Doctor praised.

"Says the man who made it work," Yana scoffed.

The Doctor shrugged. "Ooh... it's easy coming in at the end but... you're stellar. This is... this is magnificent. I don't often say that 'cause... well, 'cause of me." I rolled my eyes. Him and his ego.

"Well, even my title is an affectation. There hasn't been such a thing as a university for over a thousand years. I've spent my life going from one refugee ship to another."

"You know, in another day and time, you would have been famous," I told Yana, causing him to chuckle.

"She's right," the Doctor agreed. "You would've been revered throughout the galaxies."

"Oh, those darned galaxies," Yana said with a sad smile. "They had to go and collapse. Some admiration would have been nice. Just a little. Just once."

"Well you've got it now," the Doctor said. "But that footprint engine thing. You can't activate it from onboard. It's gotta be from here. You're staying behind."

"With Chantho," Yana added. "She won't leave without me. Simply refuses."

"You would give your life so they could fly."

"Oh, I think I'm a little too old for Utopia. Time I had some sleep," Yana said.

" **Professor, tell the Doctor we've found his blue box,** " Atillo told us over the intercom.

"Ah!" The Doctor exclaimed happily while I grinned.

"Doctor. Els," Jack called. The Doctor, Yana, and I with Tyler on my hip walked over to the monitor where we could see the TARDIS safely inside the silo.

I smiled at the sight of the blue box. "Professor, I think we may found you way out," I told him. It took a few minutes, but the TARDIS was finally brought in.

"Extra power," the Doctor said, grabbing a couplet and dragging it into the TARDIS. "Little bit of a cheat, but who's counting? Jack, you're in charge of the retro-feeds." I turned as Martha and Chantho came back.

"Oh, am I glad to see that thing," Martha said, smiling at the TARDIS in relief.

Chantho wandered over to Yana, who I hadn't noticed had sat down. "Chan, Professor, are you all right, tho?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm fine," Yana dismissed. "I'm fine. Just get on with it."

"Connect those circuits into the spar, same as that last lot. But quicker," Jack ordered to Martha.

"Yes, sir," Martha replied, giving Jack an odd look.

I walked over to Yana and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to keep working, you know.

"She's right," the Doctor agreed, coming over. "We can handle it."

"It's just a headache. Just... Just noise inside my head, Doctor. Constant noise inside my head," Yana said, sounding a bit tired and frustrated.

"What sort of noise?" The Doctor asked, kneeling in front of Yana.

"It's the sound of drums. More and more as though it's getting closer."

"When did it start?" I asked.

"Oh, I've had it all my life. Every waking hour. Still, no rest for the wicked," Yana said with a sigh, patting the Doctor's knee and standing up. The Doctor and I glanced at each other. We both knew of one person that always had a constant banging in his head. But Yana was human and all the Time Lords were gone.

" **Professor, are you getting me?** " I heard Atillo ask through the computer system. I looked up from my spot on the floor next to Tyler as I worked on fixing a coupling.

Yana jogged by me to the computer as Atillo came into focus. "I'm here! We're ready!" He announced. "Now all you need to do is connect the couplings. Then we can launch." Suddenly, the computer monitor when to static again. "Goodness sakes! This equipment!" He growled, smacking the monitor in frustration. "Needs rebooting all the time!"

"Anything I can do?" Martha asked, hurrying over. "I've finished that lot."

"Yes, if you could." Yana got up so Martha could sit. "Just press the reboot key every time the picture goes out."

The med student nodded. "Certainly, sir. Just don't ask me to do shorthand." Yana chuckled.

" **Are you still there?** " Atillo asked, coming back into focus.

"Ah, present and correct. Send your man inside. We'll keep the levels down from here," Yana said.

" **He's inside** ," Atillo informed us. " **And good luck to him.** "

"Captain, keep the levels below the red," Yana ordered and Jack nodded.

"Where is that room?" The Doctor asked.

"It's underneath the rocket," Yana answered. "Fix the couplings and the footprint can work. But the entire chamber is flooded with stet radiation."

The Doctor frowned in confusion. "Stet? Never heard of it."

"You wouldn't want to. But it's safe enough. We can hold the radiation back from here," Yana said. A few tense moments went by and alarms started to sound, causing Tyler to whimper. "It's rising... 0.2. Keep it level!" I quickly put down what I was working on and scooped Tyler into my arms. I got to my feet and started bouncing and rocking him, trying to sooth him.

"Yes, sir!" Jack said, messing with some of the controls. Suddenly, more alarms went off and the lights dimmed a bit.

"Chan, we're losing power, tho!" Chantho exclaimed in horror.

"Radiation's rising!" The Doctor shouted.

"We've lost control!" Jack yelled. All the commotion was too much for Tyler to handle and he started to cry. I gently laid his head on my shoulder and shushed him quietly.

"The chamber's going to flood," Yana realized.

"You need to get him out of the chamber!" I shouted over the noise.

"Jack! Override the vents!" The Doctor ordered.

Jack ran and grabbed hold of two live cables. "We can jump start the override!" He held the cables together.

"Jack, no!" I yelled.

"Don't! It's going to flare!" The Doctor shouted. Jack screamed as the power from the cables coursed through him. We all watched helplessly as he collapsed to the floor.

"I've got him," Martha said as she rushed over to Jack.

"Chan, don't touch the cables, tho," Chantho warned. She carefully pushed aside the still live cable. I walked over slowly, sadly looking down at the ex Time Agent. The Doctor followed, though he looked unconcerned.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Yana apologized.

"The chamber's flooded with radiation, yes?" The Doctor asked as Martha started doing mouth to mouth.

"Without the couplings, the engines will never start. It was all for nothing!" Yana growled in frustration.

"Oh, I don't know," the Doctor said nonchalantly, causing me to give him a confused look. He walked forward and gently grabbed Martha by the shoulders. "Martha, leave him."

"You've gotta let me try," Martha protested.

"Martha, there's nothing you can do," I told her sadly, still rocking a now sniffling Tyler.

"Come on. Come on. Just listen to me. Now leave him alone," the Doctor told her. "It strikes me, Professor, you've got a room a man can't enter without dying. Is that correct?"

"Yes," Yana replied, looking as confused as I felt.

"Well…" The Doctor said trailing off. Suddenly, Jack gasped, startling me. "I've got just the man."

"Was someone kissing me?" Jack asked. Martha stared down at the man before laughing in disbelief. I simply stared at him. There was no way he could have survived that, so how was he still alive? Could this be the reason he felt so wrong to me? I glanced at the Doctor questioningly, but he merely shrugged. He reached a hand out to help Jack up.

"Come on, Jack," the Doctor said. "We've got a job to do." Jack nodded and the two men raced out of the room towards the silo.

A few minutes later, Yana, Martha, and I gathered at the computer while Tyler sat on his blanket. Unfortunately, all we could see was static. "We lost picture when that thing flared up. Doctor, are you there?" Martha asked.

" **Receiving, yeah. He's inside** ," the Doctor replied.

"And still alive?" Martha asked in disbelief.

" **Oh, yes**." I could practically hear his grin.

"But he should evaporate," Yana said. "What sort of a man is he?"

Martha shrugged. "I've only just met him. The Doctor and Wonder sort of travel through time and space and pick people up," she said. She paused for a moment, thinking over what she just said. "Gosh, I make us sound like stray dogs. Maybe we are."

"Martha Jones," I scolded lightly yet firmly. "You are most certainly not stray dogs. Each and every one of you are important. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"He travels in time?" Yana asked, looking away distractedly.

"Sure do," I replied. "In our trusty TARDIS. The sports car of time travel, as my husband likes to call it. Not exactly the best analog what with the TARDIS being alive and all, but it works for him so I don't argue." Yana didn't reply, merely staring off into space. I figured the idea of time travel was a lot for the older man to take in.

" **When did you first realize?** " The Doctor asked Jack. My brows furrowed in confusion. What was he talking about?

" **Earth 1892. Got in a fight in Ellis Island. A man shot me through the heart. Then I woke up. Thought it was kinda strange. But then it never stopped,** " Jack said. " **Fell off a cliff, trampled by horses, World War I, World War II, poison, strangulation, a stray javelin…** " I winced. " **In the end, I got the message, I'm the man who can never die. And all that time you knew.** " My eyes widened in realization. That would explain why the Doctor left him behind and why being around Jack felt so wrong.

" **That's why I left you behind. It's not easy even just... just looking at you Jack, 'cause you're wrong,** " the Doctor told him.

" **Thanks** ," Jack muttered.

" **You are, I can't help it. I'm a Time Lord. It's instinct. It's in my guts** ," The Doctor admitted. " **You're a fixed point in time a space. You're a fact. That's never meant to happen. Even the TARDIS reacted against you, tried to shake you off. Flew all the way to the end of the universe just to get rid of you.** "

" **What about Els and your son? They don't seem too bothered.** "

" **Wonder can feel it too, though I don't think she knows why** ," the Doctor said. " **Tyler's too young to have a developed time sense.** "

" **So what you're saying is that you're, uh.** " There was a bang as Jack finished another coupling. " **Prejudiced?** "

" **I never thought of it like that.** "

" **Yeah** ," Jack grumbled. " **Last thing I remember back when I was mortal... I was facing three Daleks. Death by extermination. And then I came back to life. What happened?** "

" **Wonder** ," the Doctor replied. I blinked in confusion. What had I done? " **Actually, it was technically Elena.** "

" **I thought you sent her back home,** " Jack said.

" **She came back. Opened the heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the time vortex.** "

" **What does that mean, exactly?** "

" **No one's ever mean to have that power. If a Time Lord did that, he'd become a god, a vengeful god. But she was human at the time** ," the Doctor said. " **Everything she did then was so human. She brought you back to life but she couldn't control it. She brought you back forever. That's something, I suppose. The final act of the Time War was life.** " I stood staring at the static filled screen as I listened. So that's what I had done when I had taken in the Time Vortex.

" **Do you think she could change me back?** " Jack asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

" **I took the power out of her. Besides, she's a Time Lady now. Who knows what would happen if she took in that power again,** " the Doctor told him. " **She'd probably try to bring back Rose.** "

" **I'm sorry,** " Jack said quietly.

" **Yep**."

" **I went back to her estate, in the 90s, just once or twice,** " Jack said. " **Watched her growing up. Never said hello, timelines and all that.** "

" **Do you wanna die?** "

" **Oh, this one's a little stuck,** " Jack grunted, avoiding the question.

" **Jack?** " The Doctor pressed.

" **I thought I did. I dunno. But this lot, you see them out here surviving and that's fantastic.** " There was another bang as Jack got another coupling.

" **You may be out there somewhere** ," the Doctor said.

" **I could go meet myself** ," Jack mused.

" **Well, the only man you're ever gonna be happy with** ," the Doctor teased.

" **This new regeneration, it's kinda cheeky.** "

" **Hmm** ," the Doctor chuckled.

"I never understand half the things he says," Martha said with a small laugh.

"It's best to just go with the flow," I told her. That conversation certainly shed some light on a few questions.

Martha turned back to Yana. "What's wrong?" I turned around and saw Yana sitting off to the side, staring disbelievingly into space.

"Chan, Professor, what is it, tho?" Chantal asked in concern.

"Time travel," Yana whispered. "They say there was time travel back in the old days. I never believed. But what would I know? I'm just a stupid old man. Never could keep time. Always late, always lost. Even this thing never worked." He pulled out a fobwatch from his waistcoat pocket and my eyes widened. It looked very much like the ones the Doctor and I had.

Martha stared at the fobwatch. "Can I have a look at that?" She asked cautiously.

"Oh, it's only an old relic," Yana dismissed as he handed the watch to Martha. He chuckled quietly. "Like me."

Martha handed the watch back. "Where did you get it?"

"Hm? I was found with it," Yana replied.

Martha's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"An orphan in the storm. I was a naked child found on the coast of the Silver Devastation. Abandoned with only this," Yana answered absentmindedly.

"Have you opened it?" Martha asked.

"Why would I? It's broken." I glanced at Martha, giving her a small shake of my head. If he really was a Time Lord, we needed time to figure out who he was before we allowed him to open his watch.

Unfortunately, Martha didn't notice my subtle head shaking. "How do you know it's broken if you never opened it?" She pressed.

"It's stuck. It's old. It's not meant to be. I don't know," Yana replied with a shrug. Martha reached out and before I could say anything, turned the watch over. I froze. His watch had the same Gallifreyan markings as the Doctor and I's fobwatches. "Does it matter?"

"No. It's... nothing," Martha replied, backing up nervously. "It's... Listen, everything's fine up here. I'm gonna see if the Doctor needs me." She quickly walked out of the room, leaving me behind. I was still having a hard time grasping that there was another Time Lord that had escaped the Time War. The only problem was I didn't know which one he was. He didn't look like any Time Lord I knew, but that didn't mean anything. He could have regenerated and so there was no way of knowing which Time Lord he was. I glanced nervously at Yana. He was staring at his fobwatch, completely oblivious to his surroundings.

"Chan, Yana, won't you please take some rest, tho?" Chantho suggested in concern. Yana didn't respond. Suddenly the entire room shook as the rocket took off, but I didn't care. I watched as Yana stroked the watch and then slowly moved his thumb over the clasp keeping it shut.

"Professor, no!" I shouted, but it was too late. Yana opened the watch, lighting up the room with a golden glow. Suddenly, something clicked in my mind. What was it the Face of Boe had told the Doctor and I before he died? You are not alone. You Are Not Alone. YANA. My eyes widened. The Face of Boe had known all along. But how? I didn't have time to dwell on that, however, as I felt something else click in my mind. The presence of another Time Lord. I quickly hurried over and picked up Tyler, who had been watching while chewing on a toy. I held him tight, doing my best to calm my trembling. Why did it have to be him? It could have been anyone, so why him?

"Chan, Professor Yana, tho?" Yana didn't reply, simply walked over to one of the control panels and flipped a switch, causing the main door to close, locking the Doctor, Jack, and Martha out. "Chan, but you've locked them in, tho."

"Not to worry, my dear. As one door closes, another must open," Yana replied. He threw another switch and cut the power.

"Chan, you must stop, tho!" Chantal pleaded, but he ignored her, flipping more switches as he lowered the defenses. "Chan, but you've lowered the defenses! The Futurekind will get in, tho!" I watched Yana work in horrified silence. "Chan, Professor, I'm so sorry but I must stop you. You're destroying all our work, tho."

Yana turned around to see Chantal was holding a gun. However, instead of being worried, he grinned. "Oh... now I can say I was provoked." He held up one of the live wires and Chantho backed up. "Did you never think, in all those years standing beside me, to ask about that watch? Never? Did you never think, not ever, that you could set me free?"

"Chan, I'm sorry, tho. Chan, I'm so sorry," Chantho whimpered. I watched the whole scene play out before me, wanting desperately to help, but my instinct to protect Tyler overrode my desire to save Chantho.

"And you with your "chan" and your "tho" driving me insane," Yana growled, still advancing on Chantho.

"Chan, Professor, please…"

"That is not my name!" Yana shouted, causing both Chantho and I to flinch. "The Professor... was an invention. So perfect a disguise that I forgot who I am."

"Chan, who are you, tho?" Chantho asked, absolutely terrified.

"I am the Master," Yana whispered. He thrust the cable forward and Chantho collapsed. I stared at Chantho's body in horrified silence. The Master slowly lifted his head to look at me and I clutched Tyler closer to me. "Hello, Aryia." The way he said my Gallifreyan name held none of the love and warmth it had when the Doctor said it and it caused me to shiver.

"Koschei," I whispered. I mentally cringed as my voice wavered slightly.

"Been a long time, sister," he said, smiling, though it wasn't a kind smile. I squeezed Tyler even tighter, causing him let out a cry of protest and drawing my brother's attention. "I see you've been busy while I've been gone." I was saved from having to answer when someone started pounding on the closed door.

"Professor!" The Doctor shouted, pounding on the small window. "Professor, let me in! Let me in! Jack, get the door open!" The Master walked over to the computer and I quickly rushed over to the door, hoping to pry it open.

"Doctor!" I yelled, tugging on the handle with no luck.

"Wonder! Are you ok? What's happening? Where's the Professor?" The Doctor asked through the window.

"He's not the Professor anymore," I told him. I stared at my husband, terrified for both myself and my son who had started to cry as he sensed the Doctor and I's worry. "He's back." Even though I didn't say his name, I knew the Doctor knew who I was talking about. There was only one Time Lord who scared me.

"Can you get the door open?" The Doctor asked me.

I shook my head. "He's locked the door! You have to unlock it from your side." I spun my head around as I felt someone grab my arm.

"You should come away from there," the Master told me, pulling me away from the door. "I wouldn't want you to see your precious Doctor torn to pieces by the Futurekind."

"Wonder!" The Doctor yelled as I was pulled out of his sight. "Professor! Open the door, please! I'm begging you, Professor! Please! Listen to me!" The Master, however, ignored him and continued to drag me towards the TARDIS. I struggled weakly for fear of dropping my son who was still crying.

"Would you tell that baby of yours to stop his infernal crying!" The Master growled, turning back to look at me. I furrowed my brows slightly in confusion as his eyes widened at something behind me. I turned to look and jumped out of the way just as Chantho, who was still lying on the ground, fired her gun. Her shot hit the Master squarely in the chest and he groaned and staggered back against the TARDIS, still somehow managing to keep a hold on my arm. Suddenly, the door opened and the Doctor rushed in, stopping when he saw the Master and me. He moved forward, but the Master backed into the TARDIS, dragging me and subsequently Tyler, with him. He locked the door and dragged me towards the console. I heard the Doctor put his key into the lock, but the Master flipped a switch, deadlocking the door. "Deadlocked," he said gleefully and finally let go of my arm, knowing I could no longer get out.

"Let me in! Let me in!" The Doctor shouted as he pounded on the door. "I'm begging you! Everything's changed! It's only the three of us! We're the only ones left! Just let me in!"

"Koschei, please let him in," I pleaded, still trying to calm a crying Tyler. "He's right, we're the only ones left."

"Killed by an insect! A girl! How inappropriate," the Master growled in disgust, ignoring both me and the Doctor. "Still, if you and the Doctor can be young and strong, then so can I. The Master... reborn." I closed my eyes and shielded Tyler as the Master flung his head and arms back as he burst with regeneration energy. He screamed as the regeneration progressed, every cell in his body changing. Then it stopped as suddenly as it started and he collapsed to the floor. The man now lying before me now looked to be in his early 30s and had dark blond, short cropped hair. I shook my head, trying to get over my shock of seeing my brother again. Thankfully, Tyler had stopped crying, having been stunned into silence by the Master's regeneration. Unfortunately, before I could move, the Master's eyes snapped open. He slowly got to his feet as he examined his news body in amazement. "Ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!" He laughed crazily, running about the console. "Ha, ha, ha!" He pressed a button to turn on the TARDIS speaker. "Doctor... ooh, new voice. Hello, hello, hello," he said in varying pitches as he tried out his new voice. "Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me? I don't think!"

"I'm asking you really properly! Just stop! Just think!" The Doctor pleaded desperately.

"Use my name," the Master ordered.

"Master. I'm sorry," the Doctor said quietly, his voice cracking slightly.

"Tough!" The Master shouted in reply.

"No!" I screamed as my brother started the TARDIS.

"Wonder!" I heard the Doctor yell in despair. I flinched as the console sparked.

"Oh, no you don't!" The Master growled as he messed with the controls again. "End of the universe. Have fun. Bye bye!"

"Doctor!" I screamed, pounding on the door as the TARDIS disappeared.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? So the Master is Wonder's brother, though I know most of you, if not all of you probably figured that out. Now Wonder gets to spend some quality time with him for 18 months. I'll do my best to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Just a reminder, I'm doing a Q &A with the characters for the 50th chapter. Please continue to send in any questions for my characters. **

**Balexander06, in answer to your question, yes Wonder will still be with the Doctor when he regenerates to 11. I have a special plan for River, though right now, I'm not entirely sure how it will work in some episodes, but I'll figure it out. Also, Wonder and Clara will meet. Wonder isn't going anywhere.**

 **Till next time!**


	42. Sound of Drums

**Hello readers! I'm alive! I have finally finished the next chapter! I had a real hard time getting this one done as I had know idea how to incorporate Wonder and Tyler. I hope I managed it ok.**

 **Note: Just s a reminder, I'm doing a 50th chapter Q &A with all the characters that have been introduced so far. Please review or pm me with your questions.**

* * *

18 months. 1 and a half years. That's how long I've been without the Doctor. I would've gone crazy if I hadn't had Tyler with me. After the Master stole the TARDIS with me and Tyler on board, we had landed in 21st Century England. From there, it had only taken my brother 18 months to work his way to the top of the British government. He had managed to get a job as the Minister or Defence and took credit for the destruction of the Racnoss, which started his ascent through the British government. It was hard knowing there was a version of the Doctor out there and I couldn't do anything to contact him. Not only would my brother not let me, but it would mess up the timelines. I didn't know how my brother managed to work his way through the ranks of the British government. Of course, it wasn't that much of a surprise, my brother always had a way of getting people to do what he wanted. He even somehow managed to snag himself a wife in the midst of planning his world domination. I spent most of my days locked in the flat my brother had acquired, my brother only letting me out so I could let Tyler stretch his legs. My brother was hardly ever at the flat and whenever he was at the flat he spent all his time in the TARDIS. I didn't know what he was planning, but I knew it wasn't good. In the 18 months I've been shut away from the world, Tyler had grown. He was now rambunctious 2 year old. The Master visited occasionally, making sure we had everything we needed. He always made sure to bring some type of present to bribe Tyler with. Tyler then began expecting a present every time my brother came into the room. It worried me quite a bit. I didn't need my brother turning my son into one of his minions. It was strange though, my brother almost seemed like a different person when he interacted with Tyler. He seemed calmer, less crazy.

Currently, it was the day right after the election. My brother, known to the world as Harold Saxon, had been kind enough to let me and Tyler out of the flat so we could head to 10 Downing Street, or as it's called now, Saxon Headquarters. As we walked through the hall on the way to the doors, I suddenly felt the presence of another Time Lord in my mind. I relaxed, only slightly, as I realized the Doctor had finally arrived. I knew my brother had noticed it too when he sent me a smirk over his shoulder, an evil glint in his eye. I gulped nervously. It was worrying that my husband's presence didn't seem to faze him at all. In fact, he seemed to have anticipated it. As we walked down the stairs, cameras from reporters flashed furiously. I unconsciously tightened my grip on Tyler.

"Mr Saxon, this way, sir. Come on, kiss for the lady, sir," one of the photographers said. The Master obliged and kissed his wife.

My brother stepped forward. "This country has been sick. This country needs healing. This country needs medicine," he addressed the crowd of reporters. "In fact, I'd go so far as to say that, what this country really needs, right now... is a doctor."

 **Third person POV**

The Doctor, Martha, and Jack appeared in an alley, groaning from their trip in the Time Vortex.

"Oh, my head!" Martha complained, gripping her throbbing head.

"Time travel without a capsule. That's a killer," the Doctor said, stretching and popping his back. Jack cracked his neck and the three of them left the alley.

"Still, at least we made it," Jack commented. "Earth, 21st century by the looks of it. Ha, ha, talk about lucky."

The Doctor gazed around the area, looking of any signs of the Master. "That wasn't luck, that was me."

Jack shrugged. "The moral is, if you're gonna get stuck at the end of the universe, get stuck with an ex-Time Agent and his vortex manipulator," he said proudly.

"But this Master bloke, he's got the TARDIS and Wonder and Tyler," Martha pointed out. "They could be anywhere in time and space."

"No, they're here. Trust me," the Doctor replied. "He wouldn't let Wonder out of his sight and he knows better than to separate a Time Lady from her son." He glanced around and noticed a bunch of election posters with the name Harold Saxon on them.

"Who is he, anyway?" Martha asked. "And that voice at the end, that wasn't the professor."

"If the Master's a Time Lord, he must have regenerated," Jack pointed out.

"What does that mean?"

"Means he's changed his face, voice, body, everything. New man," Jack explained. The Doctor noticed a homeless man tapping a repeating rhythm on a mug he was holding.

"Then how are we gonna find him?" Martha wondered.

"I'll know him, the moment I see him. Time Lords always do," the Doctor said.

"But hold on," Martha said, finally noticing the posters. "If he could be anyone... We missed the election. But it can't be…" The three of them walked towards a giant screen in a window shop showing the news.

" **Mr. Saxon has returned from the Palace and is greeting the crowd inside Saxon Headquarters,** " a newscaster announced. The screen showed Saxon walking down a set of stairs with an entourage, his wife Lucy at his side.

"I said I knew that voice. When he spoke inside the TARDIS. I've heard that voice hundreds of times. I've seen him. We all have. That was the voice of Harold Saxon."

"That's him. He's Prime Minister," the Doctor said quietly. He stiffened when he saw Wonder standing behind the Master holding Tyler. She looked extremely uncomfortable with all the flashing cameras. He noticed her tighten her grip on Tyler a little, as if trying to reassure herself he was still there.

" **Mr. Saxon, this way, sir. Come on, kiss for the lady, sir,** " a photographer asked.

"The Master is Prime Minister of Great Britain." The Doctor raised his eyebrows in surprise as Saxon kissed Lucy. "The Master and his _wife_."

Saxon stepped forward and addressed the hoard of reporters. " **This country has been sick. This country needs healing. This country needs medicine. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that, what this country really needs, right now... is a doctor.** " He smiled at the camera, as if he knew the Doctor was watching.

"I need to find out everything about what he's been doing here," the Doctor said. "Martha, lead the way."

 **Wonder's POV**

Once we were inside Downing Street, Tyler and I were stuck in our room. The Master went off to meet with the Cabinet. Based on the smirk and evil glint in his eye, it wasn't going to end well for the Cabinet members. What was really frustrating is that I knew the Doctor was here, but I had no way of contacting him. I would normally be able to speak in his mind, but the Archangel Network the Master put up blocked me. I honestly had no idea what the Archangel Network was for, but I knew it wasn't good. I figured it probably had something to do with why no one seemed to question my brother's rise to power. I grabbed the tv remote and turned the tv on. It was really my only way of finding out what the Doctor was up to, though I hoped he wouldn't show up. A little while later, there was a knock on the door and a guard walked in.

"Mr. Saxon is going to make a worldwide broadcast and he requests your presence," the guard said. I sighed, but knew better than to argue. I picked up Tyler and followed the guard.

 **Third Person POV**

Martha unlocked the door to her flat and opened the door. "Home."

"What have you got? Computer, laptop, anything?" The Doctor asked as the three of them walked in. Jack pulled out his phone and dialed. "Jack, who are you phoning? You can't tell anyone, we're here!"

"Just some friends of mine, but there's no reply…" Jack replied, frowning in confusion.

Martha grabbed her laptop from her desk and handed it to the Doctor. "Here you go. Any good?"

Jack took the laptop from the Doctor and sat at Martha's desk. "I can show you the Saxon websites. He's been around for ages."

"That's so weird though. It's the day after the election. That's only four days after I met you," Martha commented to the Doctor.

"We went flying all around the universe while he was here the whole time," the Doctor said, sounding a bit frustrated.

Martha raised her eyebrows at him expectantly. "You gonna tell us who he is?"

"He's a Time Lord," the Doctor simply replied.

"What about the rest of it? I mean, who'd call himself the Master?"

"That's all you need to know," he snapped. He turned to Jack. "Come on, show me Harold Saxon." Martha huffed in frustration. She was getting tired of the Doctor's vagueness. She went over to her answering machine to check her messages.

" **Martha, where are you?** " Tish asked. " **I've got this new job. You won't believe it. It's weird, they just phoned me up out of the blue. I'm working for-** "

Martha rolled her eyes and shut off the machine. "Oh, like it matters," she grumbled.

"Here we go," Jack announced. He had pulled up Saxon's campaign commercial. "Former Minister of Defence. First came to prominence when he shot down the Racnoss on Christmas Eve." He turned to the Doctor who was perched in the couch arm. "Nice work, by the way."

"Oh, thanks," the Doctor said.

"He goes back years. He's famous. Everyone knows his story," Martha said. She typed a few keys, pulling up Saxon's lifestory. "Look. Cambridge University, Rugby blue, won the Athletics thing, wrote a novel, went into business, marriage, everything. He's got a whole life." The Doctor stood up and made a motion for Jack to move. Jack got up and went into the kitchen while the Doctor sat down at the desk and began scrolling through Saxon's website.

"But he's got a TARDIS," Jack said as he came out of the kitchen holding three mugs of tea. "Maybe the Master went back in time and has been living here for decades."

The Doctor shook his head. "No."

"Why not? Worked for me."

"When he was stealing the TARDIS, the only thing I could do was fuse the coordinates. I locked them permanently," the Doctor explained. "He can only travel between the year 100 trillion and the last place the TARDIS landed. Which is right here, right now."

"Yeah, but a little leeway?" Jack suggested. "I mean I saw Els holding Tyler and he didn't exactly look like a baby anymore."

"Well... judging by Tyler's age, 18 months, tops. The most he could have been here is 18 months." The Doctor paused as he realized something. His eyes widened in horror. "I've missed 18 months of my son's life. And Wonder had to raise him by herself."

"Hey, I'm sure she did just fine," Jack assured the Time Lord. "She's a great mother." The Doctor didn't answer, merely staring guiltily off into space. "Doctor, I know you feel bad for leaving them, but wasn't your fault. Besides, we have bigger problems right now. You can make it up to Els and Tyler later." The Doctor looked up at Jack and nodded with a sigh.

"So how has he managed all this?" The Doctor wondered. "The Master was always sort of... hypnotic but this is on a massive scale."

"I was gonna vote for him," Martha piped up.

The Doctor turned to her in surprise. "Really?"

"Well, it was before I even met you. And I liked him."

"Me too," Jack added.

"Why do you say that? What was his policy? What did he stand for?" The Time Lord asked in rapid succession.

"I dunno," Martha shrugged, staring dreamily at the wall. "He always sounded... good." She started absentmindedly tapping her fingers in a four beat pattern. "Like you could trust him. Just nice. He spoke about... I can't really remember, but it was good. Just the sound of his voice."

"What's that?" The Doctor asked harshly, noticing her tapping fingers.

Martha jumped and seemed to come out of her trance. "What?"

The Doctor gestured to her fingers. "That! That tapping, that rhythm! What are you doing?"

"I dunno. It's nothing. It's j-I dunno!" Martha exclaimed. Suddenly, a tune played from the website that was still up on the laptop. "Saxon Broadcast All Channels" appeared on the screen.

The Doctor hurried over to the couch and turned on the tv. "Our lord and master is speaking to his kingdom." Saxon appeared on the screen, sitting at his desk.

" **Britain, Britain, Britain. What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small. And then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies,** " Saxon said as clips of the Slitheen ship crashing in London played. " **You've seen it happen... Big Ben destroyed, a spaceship over London.** " Clips of the ghosts that turned out to be Cybermen appeared. " **All those ghosts and metal men.** " Clips of the Racnoss ship flashed across the screen. " **The Christmas star that came to kill. Time and time again the government told you nothing. Well not me. Not Harold Saxon. Because my purpose here today is to tell you this... citizens of Great Britain... I have been contacted. A message, for humanity, from beyond the stars.** " He nodded to someone off camera and another video played. This one showed a floating, silver sphere.

" **People of the Earth, we come in peace,** " the sphere said in a female voice. " **We bring great gifts. We bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship.** "

" **Ooh, sweet,** " Saxon cooed. " **And this species has identified itself. They're called the Toclafane.** "

"What?!" The Doctor exclaimed, frowning in confusion.

" **And tomorrow morning they will appear. Not in secret, but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow, we take our place in the universe. Every man, woman and child. Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer. And every... oh, I don't know... medical student?** " Saxon grinned slyly at the camera. The Doctor whipped around to look at Martha before turning the tv around to find a bomb strapped to the back, ready to go off. The Doctor grabbed Martha's laptop and the three rushed out of the flat just before it exploded.

 **Wonder POV**

I glared at my brother as he showed the different clips from the Doctor and I's previous adventures. I was a bit relieved that he was blaming the government for not saying anything, but still. He knew very well that humans scare easily and tend to lash out without thinking things through first. But of course he was going to use the government keeping the alien invasion a secret against them and use is to fuel his own rise to power. What I didn't understand is where the Toclafane came from. I remember hearing stories about them when I was little. They were always used to scare young Gallifreyans. There was something about that sphere that seemed familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer. And every...oh, I don't know...medical student?" The Master finished his broadcast with a sly grin at the camera.

"That's a wrap," the producer announced. He and his crew packed up their equipment and left.

The Master turned to me once everyone was gone. "Well sit down," he said, gesturing to the chair on the other side of his desk. "I don't bite," he added when I didn't move.

"Now you and I both know that's not true," I scoffed, adjusting Tyler on my hip.

"Come now, I've been nothing but nice to you and my nephew," the Master said, smiling innocently. Tyler squirmed on my hip until I put him down and he ran to my brother. My brother smiled at the toddler and picked him up, placing him on his knee. "Hey, did you like my present?"

Tyler nodded. "Mommy took it away though. She said I'm too young to have screwdriver."

The Master glanced at me and I gulped. "Well, mommy's no fun," he said, poking Tyler in the stomach. "I'll have to fix that? Are you hungry?" Tyler nodded again. "How about some ice cream for lunch? That ok with you, mommy?" The Master gave me a look that may have looked like he was genuinely asking for permission, his eyes told me otherwise.

I glanced at my son and nearly melted at the pleading look he was giving me. "I suppose this one time," I reluctantly conceded.

"Yeah!" Tyler cheered, clapping his hands. The Master buzzed in one of his many servants and ordered ice cream.

As we ate, my brother got a call. He answered it, making sure it was on speaker. " **Mr. Saxon, we have Condition Red on the Jones plan,** " a woman informed him. " **We're taking them in. All of them.** "

"Good," the Master told her.

I turned to my brother. "Jones Plan?" I questioned.

"Oh I've been watching the Jones family for a while now," he replied, taking a bite of ice cream. The phone then rang again.

" **Martha, I can't talk right now** ," Tish said. " **We just made first contact. Did you see- What are you doing?!** " There was a thud on the line, as though she had dropped her phone.

" **What's happening?! Tish!** " I heard Martha scream before the line went dead.

I stared at the Master in horror. "What have you done?" He only answer was a maniacal grin. The phone rang once more.

" **Leo! Oh, thank goodness!** " Martha gasped, relieved. " **Leo, you gotta listen to me. Where are you?** " I went to say something, but the Master shot me a warning look, wrapping an arm casually around my son. I got the message and closed my mouth.

" **I'm in Brighton,** " Leo replied calmly, completely unaware of the danger he was in. " **We came down with Boxer. Did you see that Saxon thing on telly?** "

" **Leo, just listen to me. Don't go home, I'm telling you. Don't phone Mum or Dad or Tish. You've gotta hide.** "

" **Shut up,** " Leo laughed, apparently believing his sister was playing a joke on him.

" **On my life. You've gotta trust me,** " Martha pleaded. " **Go to Boxer's. Stay with him. Don't tell anyone! Just hide!** "

"Ooh, a nice little game of hide-and-seek," the Master spoke up. "I love that. But I'll find you, Martha Jones. Been a long time since we saw each other. Must be, what, one hundred trillion years?"

" **Let them go, Saxon,** " Martha growled. " **Do you hear me?! Let them go!** " My brother merely smiled.

" **I'm here.** " My hearts stopped as I heard the Doctor's voice.

The Master quickly took the phone off speaker and held it to his ear. "Doctor."

" **Master.** "

The Master let out a breath. "I like it when you use my name."

" **You chose it,** " the Doctor reminded him. " **Psychiatrist's field day.** "

"As you chose yours. The man who makes people better. How sanctimonious is that?"

" **Where's Wonder and Tyler?** " The Doctor demanded.

"Oh, they're fine," the Master assured him. "Here." He held the phone to Tyler's ear. "Say hello to daddy, Tyler."

"Hi, daddy!" Tyler greeted enthusiastically.

" **Hey, Tyler,** " the Doctor greeted back. " **How you doing. You alright?** "

"Yeah! Mummy let me have ice cream for lunch!"

The Doctor chuckled lightly. " **Did she now?** "

Tyler nodded happily. "Yeah! And Uncle Saxon brought me a screwdriver, but mummy said I was too young."

" **I would agree with your mother on that one.** "

"Ok, say goodbye to daddy," my brother said. "I think mummy wants a turn."

"Ok! Bye daddy!"

"Here's the wife," the Master said, passing the phone to me.

"Hey, Theta," I whispered.

" **Aryia,** " the Doctor breathed. " **You alright?** "

I shrugged even though I knew he could see me. "As well as I can be what with having to raise Tyler on my own and deal with my maniac of a brother." I glanced at said Time Lord who merely shrugged at the insult and fed Tyler another spoonful of ice cream. "18 months I've been without you. It's a good thing Tyler was here or I would have gone insane."

" **I know,** " my husband sighed, almost sounding close to tears. " **I'm so sorry. I would have gotten here sooner but you know how hard it is to control Jack's vortex manipulator.** "

"I know. I miss you," I told him.

" **I miss you too.** "

The Master made a face. "Ok, well I think that's enough of that. Say your goodbyes."

I shot him a glare before turning my attention back to the phone. "I love you," I told my husband.

" **I love you too,** " he replied.

My brother snatched the phone from me and leaned back in his chair. "Ugh, you two. I was never one for all that mushy gooshy stuff."

"Says the man who snogged his wife on national television," I muttered.

"Hush, you," the Master snapped.

" **So... Prime Minister,** " the Doctor said, drawing my brother's attention again.

The Master grinned. "I know. It's good, isn't it?"

" **Who are those creatures?** " The Doctor asked. " **'Cause there's no such thing as the Toclafane. It's just a made-up name like the Bogeyman.** "

"Do you remember all those fairy tales about the Toclafane when we were kids? Back home. Where is it, Doctor?" My hearts sank. I was hoping my brother wouldn't ask about Gallifrey. It was hard enough for me to talk about my old home, I could only imagine how hard it would be for the Doctor to talk about.

" **Gone** ," the Doctor replied quietly.

The Master frowned. "How can Gallifrey be gone?"

" **It burnt.** "

"And the Time Lords?"

" **Dead. And the Daleks... more or less. What happened to you?** "

"The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be the perfect warrior for a Time War," the Master said. "I was there when the Dalek Emperor took control of the Cruciform. I saw it. I ran. I ran so far. Made myself human so they would never find me because... I was so scared."

" **I know**."

"All of them?" The Master inquired. "But now you, which must mean…"

" **I was the only one who could end it. And I tried. I did. I tried everything,** " the Doctor said. I could hear the pain in his voice and I wanted desperately to comfort him.

"What did it feel like, though?" The Master asked. "Two almighty civilizations burning. Oh, tell me, how did it feel?"

" **Stop it!** " The Doctor snapped.

"You must have been like God."

"Leave him alone," I growled.

" **Wonder and I've been alone ever since. But not anymore,** " the Doctor said. " **Don't you see, all we've got is each other.** "

The Master cocked an eyebrow. "Are you asking me out on a date? Don't think my sister would like that."

" **You could stop this right now. We could leave this planet. We could fight across the constellations if that's what you want. But not on Earth,** " the Doctor pleaded.

"Too late."

" **Why do you say that?** " The Doctor questioned.

"The drumming," the Master said, drumming his fingers in a four beat pattern on the desk. "I thought it would stop but it never does. Never ever stops. Inside my head, the drumming, Doctor. The constant drumming."

" **I could help you,** " the Doctor offered. " **Please, let me help.** "

"It's everywhere. Listen, listen, listen." My brother tapped his fingers again. "Here come the drums. Here come the drums."

" **What have you done? Tell me how you've done this. What are those creatures? Tell me!** " The Doctor demanded.

The Master glanced at his laptop, which was open in front of him on the desk. "Ooh, look. You're on TV."

" **Stop it! Answer me!** "

"No, really. You're on telly! Look, Tyler, daddy's on telly!" The Master clicked on the BBC newscast and pointed to the screen for Tyler. "You and your little band, which, by the way, is ticking every demographic box. So, congratulations on that. Look, there you are! Ha!" I looked at the screen where the newscaster was warning people that the Doctor, Martha, and Jack were armed and dangerous. "You're public enemies number one, two and three. Oh, and you can tell handsome Jack that I've sent his little gang off on a wild goose chase to the Himalayas so he won't be getting any help from them." He switched on the CCTV outside a shop. The Doctor, Martha, and Jack appeared on the screen. I drew in a sharp as I saw my husband for the first time in 18 months. "Now, go on, off you go. Why not start by turning to the right?"

" **He can see us,** " the Doctor growled. I watched as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the camera. The screen suddenly went blank as he broke the camera.

"Ooh, you public menace," the Master scolded. "Better start running. Go on. Run!" His sudden rise in voice scared Tyler who jumped down from his lap and ran over to me. I picked him up and hugged him tightly. "Run for your life, Doctor! I said, run!"

 **Third Person POV**

Martha walked into a disused warehouse that she, Jack, and the Doctor were hiding out in. The Doctor was at her laptop while Jack was monkeying with his vortex manipulator.

"How was it?" Jack asked as he spotted Martha with a takeaway bag in her hand.

"I don't think anyone saw me," Martha replied, pulling a container of chips out of the bag and passing it to Jack. "Anything new?"

"I've got this tuned into the government wavelength so we can follow what Saxon's doing."

"Yeah, I meant about my family."

"It still says the Jones family taken in for questioning," the Doctor told her as she passed him his container of chips. "Tell you what, though, no mention of Leo."

Martha smiled. "He's not as daft as he looks." Her smile faded. "I'm talking about my brother on the run. How did this happen?"

"Nice chips," Jack complimented as he popped another in his mouth.

The Doctor nodded in agreement. "Actually, they're not bad." He popped a chip into his mouth as Martha sat down. She and Jack exchanged looks and she nodded her head in the Doctor's direction.

"So, Doctor, who is he?" Jack asked. "How come the ancient society of Time Lords created a psychopath?"

"And what is he to you? Like a colleague…" Martha added.

"A friend, at first," the Doctor answered.

"I thought you were gonna say he was your secret brother or something," Martha muttered.

"He's actually Wonder's brother," the Doctor admitted.

Jack looked to him in surprise. "Really? A maniac like him is related to Els?"

"He wasn't always like that," the Doctor protested.

"Hold on," Martha said. "If he's Wonder's brother, that would make him your brother-in-law."

The Doctor sighed. "Yeah."

"But all the legends of Gallifrey made it sound so perfect," Jack said.

"Well, perfect to look at, maybe. And it was, it was beautiful." The Doctor leaned back in his chair, staring off into space as he remembered his long lost planet. "They used to call it the Shining World of the Seven Systems. And on the Continent of Wild Endeavour, in the Mountains of Solace and Solitude, there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords...The oldest and most mighty race in the universe... looking down on the galaxies below... sworn never to interfere... only to watch… Children of Gallifrey, taken from their families at the age of eight to enter the Academy. And some say that's when it all began. When he was a child... that's when the Master saw eternity. As a novice, he was taken for initiation, it's a gap in the fabric of reality through which could be seen the whole of the vortex. You stand there, eight years old... staring at the raw power of time and space, just a child. Some would be inspired... some would run away... and some would go mad."

"What about you and Wonder?" Martha asked.

"Oh, the ones that ran away," the Doctor replied, his voice muffled a bit from the chips stuff in his mouth. "I never stopped. Wonder, on the other hand, was inspired. She would have run away with me of course, but her parents wouldn't let her." They all looked at Jack as his manipulator suddenly beeped.

"Encrypted channel with files attached. Don't recognize it," Jack announced.

"Patch it through to the laptop," the Doctor told him.

"Um, since we're telling stories, um, there's something I haven't told you," Jack said, glancing at the Doctor uneasily. The Torchwood logo appeared on the screen.

"You work for Torchwood," the Doctor growled.

"I swear to you, it's different. It's changed," Jack insisted. "There's only half a dozen of us now."

The Doctor still glared darkly at Jack. "Everything Torchwood did and you're part of it?!"

"The old regime was destroyed at Canary Wharf," Jack snapped. "I rebuilt it, I changed it. And when I did that, I did it for you, in your honor." The Doctor merely continued to glare at him before opening the file. The file contained a video from a woman named Vivien Rook.

" **If I haven't returned to my desk by 2200 hours, this file will be emailed to Torchwood** ," Vivien said. " **Which means, if you're watching this, then I'm... Anyway, the Saxon files are attached. But take a look at the Archangel document. That's when it all started. When Harry Saxon became Minister in charge of launching the Archangel Network.** " The screen changed to show a graphic of a spinning Earth with satellites.

"What's the Archangel Network?" The Doctor asked.

"I've got Archangel. Everyone's got it," Martha said, pulling out her phone.

"It's the mobile phone network. 'Cause, look, it's gone worldwide. They've got 15 satellites in orbit. Even the other networks, they're all carried by Archangel," Jack explained.

"It's in the phones!" The Doctor exclaimed, using his sonic on Martha's phone. "Oh, I said he was a hypnotist! Wait, wait, wait. Hold on." He tapped the phone against the table and it started beeping in the same four beat pattern Martha was tapping her fingers to earlier. "There it is. That rhythm, it's everywhere. Ticking away in the subconscious."

"What is it, mind control?" Martha inquired.

The Doctor shook his head. "No, no, no, no. Subtler than that. Any stronger and people would question it. But contained in that rhythm, in layers of code... Vote Saxon. Believe in me. Whispering to the world. Oh, yes! That's how he hid himself from Wonder and me. 'Cause we should have sensed there was another Time Lord on Earth. I should have known way back. The signal cancelled him out."

"Any way you can stop it?" Jack questioned.

"Not from down here. But now we know how he's doing it."

"And we can fight back," Martha said, a smiled forming on her face.

The Doctor grinned. "Oh, yes!"

 **Wonder's POV**

I stared out the window of the car as we arrived on the tarmac. The Master, his wife, Tyler, and I were being escorted to meet with the American President Winters.

"Now, I want you and your son to be on your best behavior tonight," the Master told me as he helped me out of the car. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," I ground out.

"Good. Now, smile." He gave me a warning smile before turning to Tyler who was still in his car seat. "You ever been on a plane before?" Tyler shook his head as his uncle unstrapped him. "Oh, you've been missing out. I'll make sure you get a seat next to the window so you can see the view."

"Yay!" Tyler said, grinning and clapping his hands happily. My brother pulled him out of the car and passed him to me before taking his wife's arm and strutting off to meet the President. I shot a glare at his back as I set Tyler on his feet.

"Come on, sweetheart," I sighed.

"K!" Tyler replied cheerfully, grabbing onto my outstretched hand. I envied my son. He was so happy and carefree, having no idea of what was going on around him. As we walked towards my brother, his wife, and the not so happy looking President, I thought I felt someone watching me. I turned my head and my eyes widened as I spotted the Doctor, Jack, and Martha standing at the edge of the tarmac. I drew in a sharp breath, wanting more than anything to run to the Doctor. However, as I stared at my husband, he slowly shook his head, his expression pleading. I realized he must have some sort of perception filter on, but my urge to see him was so strong, it had no effect on me. I nodded my head ever so slightly, fighting the tears that threatened to appear. I continued walking, the knowledge that I would soon see my husband being the only thing that kept me going.

"To business. We've accessed your files on these...Toclafane," the President was saying as Tyler and I neared. "First contact cannot take place on any sovereign soil. For that purpose, the aircraft carrier Valiant is en route. The rendezvous will take place there at 8:00 am." The Master mumbled something through his closed mouth and the President glared even harder at my brother. "You're trying my patience, sir."

The Master unzipped his lips. "So America is completely in charge?" He asked.

"Since Britain elected an ass, yes," the President snapped. I quickly covered my laugh with a cough. "I'll see you on board the Valiant."

"It still will be televised, though, won't it?" The Master asked as the President turned to leave. "Because I promised, and the whole world is watching."

"Since it's too late to pull out, the world will be watching. Me." The President walked off to his waiting car.

"The last President of America," the Master told his wife "We have a private plane ready and waiting. We should reach the Valiant within the hour." He motioned for Lucy to go first. "My darling." He turned to watch as the President drove away. A siren drew my attention as a police van drove up. I watched in saddened horror as Martha's family was taken out. My brother ran over to greet them, laughing as if they were old friends. "Hi, guys! All will be revealed!" I so badly wanted to help the Jones family, but I knew there was nothing I could do. I watched sadly as the Jones family was transferred to a Land Rover, Martha's mother screaming at the Master the whole time.

"Come on, sweetheart," I told Tyler, not wanting him to see anymore. I picked him up and carried him onto the private jet.

"Mummy, what's an ass?" Tyler asked innocently. I closed my eyes and sighed.

"Not a word you should repeat," I said.

A while later, I followed my brother and his wife onto the bridge/conference room of the Valiant. It was shortly before 8'o clock in the morning. The room was lined with secret service agents, various military personnel, and camera crews getting ready for the appearance of the Toclafane.

"I want the whole thing branded in my sort of honest, not the United Nations. Got that?" The President ordered.

The Master sidled up the President as I found a chair and placed Tyler in my lap. "Anything I can do? I could make tea or isn't that American enough?" He asked, causing the President to glare darkly at him. "I don't know, I could make grits. What are grits, anyway?"

"It you could just sit," the President snapped, obviously fed up with the Master's antics.

"Misery guts," the Master grumbled, turning around and making a face at his wife. "What do you think? It's good, isn't it?" He pulled out a chair for Lucy.

"It's beautiful," Lucy agreed.

"Some of my best work." The Master pulled out a chair for himself and plopped down next to me. "Ministry of Defense," he whispered to his wife. "I helped design this place. Every detail."

"Two minutes, everyone!" The President called, climbing the steps to the steering area. "According to the treaty, all armed personnel are requested to leave the flight deck immediately. Thank you." I glanced at my brother. He and Lucy were watching all the people bustling about as if it were a reality tv show.

The Master held out a bag to Lucy. "Jelly baby?" She smiled and took one. He held out the bag to me and Tyler. Tyler happily took one, but I shook my head. The Master shrugged and took one, popping it in his mouth.

"Broadcasting at 7:58 with the arrival timed at 08:00 precisely," the President announced. "And, uh, good luck to all of us." The cameras moved into position and one of the directors gave the countdown. "My fellow Americans, patriots, people of the world... I stand before you today as ambassador for humanity, a role I will undertake with utmost solemnity. Perhaps our Toclafane cousins can offer us much, but that is important is not that we gain material benefits, but that we learn to see ourselves anew." I suddenly got the feeling I was being watched again, but I ignored it. I had a feeling it was the Doctor so I didn't want to draw any unwanted attention to him. Instead, I focused my gaze on the President and hoped the Doctor had a plan. "For as long as man has looked to the stars, he has wondered what mysteries they hold. Now we know we are not alone…And I ask you now, I ask of the human race, to join with me in welcoming our friends. I give you the Toclafane." He turned around holding out his hand as three silver spheres appeared. "My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President-Elect of the United States of America and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon."

"You're not the Master," the 1st Toclafane said, it's voice male.

"We like the Mr Master," the 2nd Toclafane said, this one female.

"We don't like you," the 3rd said, this one also male.

"I... can be Master, if you so wish. I will accept mastery over you if that is God's will," the President offered. A feeling of dread began to build in my stomach. I had a feeling that this was about to go downhill very fast and there was nothing I could do.

"Man is stupid," the 3rd said.

"Master is our friend," the 1st announced.

"Where's my Master, pretty please?" The 2nd asked.

"Oh, all right then. It's me," the Master said enthusiastically, jumping to his feet.

' _Whoomp, there it is_ ,' I thought. I knew this was going to turn sour real fast.

"Ta-da!" The Master laughed. "Sorry. Sorry, I have this effect. People just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know. It's crazy!"

"Saxon, what are you talkin' about?" The President demanded, glaring at the Master.

The Master turned serious and faced the President, crossing his arms. "I'm taking control, Uncle Sam. Starting with you." He turned to the Toclafane. "Kill him." I just managed to cover Tyler's eyes before one of the Toclafane shot the President with a laser and he disintegrated. The chaos that erupted as everyone tried to leave the room scared Tyler and he clung to me, whimpering. "Guards!" The Master laughed as his people pulled their guns.

"Nobody move! Nobody move!" One of the guards ordered. Tyler began to cry and I hugged him tightly, trying to sooth him.

The Master turned his gaze to the camera. "Now then, peoples of the Earth, please attend carefully." Suddenly, something brown bolted past me and I realized with a mixture of relief and horror that it was the Doctor.

"Stop him!" A guard shouted. The other guards grabbed him and forced him to his knees.

The Master grinned gleefully. "We meet at last, Doctor. Oh, ho! I love saying that!"

"Stop this! Stop it now!" The Doctor pleaded.

"As if a perception filter's gonna work on me," the Master scoffed. He looked up and I looked behind me, spotting Jack and Martha standing by the wall. "Oh, and look, it's the girlie and the freak. Although, I'm not sure which one's which."

"Jack, don't!" I yelled as he rushed the Master. The Master pulled out a screwdriver of his own and shot a yellow beam at Jack. Jack cried out and collapsed to the floor, dead.

"Laser screwdriver, who'd have sonic?" The Master mocked. "And the good thing is, he's not dead for long. I get to kill him again!" Martha rushed towards Jack.

"Master, just calm down," the Doctor pleaded. "Just look at what you're doing. Just stop. If you could see yourself…"

The Master sighed dramatically into the camera. "Oh, do excuse me, little bit of personal business. Back in a minute. Let him go," he ordered his guards. The guards roughly pushed the Doctor to the floor. Seeing how the Master was currently occupied with the Doctor for the moment, I took the opportunity to rush to Jack. I set Tyler down next to me.

"It's that sound, the sound in your head. What if I could help?" The Doctor said, hoping my brother would agree, but I knew him better than that.

"Oh, how to shut him up?" The Master said, sitting on the steps and pretending to ponder for a moment. "I know. Memory Lane! Professor Lazarus. Remember him? And his genetic manipulation device? Did you think that little Tish got that job merely by coincidence? Didn't you think it was odd that 'Mr. Saxon' knew your wife and just let her in? I've been laying traps for you all this time. And if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver... But, ooh, if I only had the Doctor's biological code." He pretend pouted for a moment. "Oh, wait a minute, I do!" He ran over to a silver case and opened it, revealing the hand Jack had collected. "I've got his hand! And if Lazarus made himself younger, what if I reverse it? Another hundred years?" I watched in horror as the Master aimed his screwdriver and my husband. The Doctor screamed and convulsed as his genetic makeup was altered. I winced and held a hand to my head as the Doctor could do nothing to prevent his pain from feeding through our link to me. Tyler held onto my shirt tightly as he watched his father age before his very eyes. I hardly took notice as Jack revived, clinging to Martha.

Teleport.," I heard Jack tell Martha.

"I can't," Martha protested

"We can't stop him. Get out of here. Get out," Jack urged.

Finally, I couldn't take it any longer. "Master, stop!" I screamed. My brother glanced at me and, surprisingly, obliged. I left Jack's side and rushed to my husband. He now had the body of a very old man. I knelt beside him, tears building in my eyes. I slowly lifted a hand to his face. His cheek felt wrinkled and frail under my touch. "Theta," I whispered so quietly that only the Doctor could hear me.

"Doctor, I've got you," Martha assured him as she crawled to his side and helped me support him.

"Aw, she's a would-be doctor," the Master mocked. "But tonight, Martha Jones, we've flown 'em in all the way from prison." The door slid open and more guards escorted in Francine, Clive, and Tish.

"Mum," Martha whispered in horror.

"I'm sorry," Francine whimpered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"The Toclafane, who are they? Who are they?" The Doctor demanded, breathing heavily.

"Doctor, if I told you the truth, your hearts would break," the Master replied, placing his hand on the Doctor's chest in between his hearts.

"Is it time?" The 1st Toclafane asked eagerly.

"Is it ready?" The 3rd asked.

"Is the machine singing?" The 2nd chimed in.

The Master checked his watched. "Two minutes past." He ran up the steps and stood next to his wife. "So! Earthlings. Basically, um, end of the world." He held up his screwdriver. "Here... come... the drums!" Rogue Trader's "Voodoo Child" began to play as outside the Valiant, a rift tore open the sky. Thousands upon thousands of Toclafane poured out through the rift as the Master and Lucy watched from a window. Tyler rushed over to me and I held him against me protectively. "Down you go, kids!" The Master told the Toclafane cheerfully. "Shall we decimate them?" he asked Lucy. "That sounds good. Nice word, decimate. Remove one-tenth of the population!" I gasped in horror. The Doctor grabbed one of my hands in his own, squeezing it with as much strength as he could muster. He whispered something to Martha and she nodded, tears sliding down her cheeks. I buried my face in the Doctor's shoulder as Martha got to her feet. He slowly wrapped an arm around me, offering what little comfort he could. More tears slid down my cheeks as distress calls from all over the world came in as people were slaughtered by the Toclafane. Martha glanced at her family and then gave us one last look before activating Jack's Vortex Manipulator. The Master came over and dragged both the Doctor and I to our feet and brought us over to the window. I picked Tyler up and laid his head on my shoulder, not wanting him to see the destruction my brother had caused. "And so it came to pass... that the human race fell and the Earth was no more. And I looked down upon my new dominion as master of all and I thought it... good," the Master said, smiling down upon the carnage he had created.

* * *

 **So, how did I do? I'm not all that happy with it, but I figured it was good enough to post, plus my beta reader, LilactheDryad said it was good. Anyway, please review and I'll get my next chapter up as soon as I can! Till next time!  
**


	43. The Last of the Time Lords

**Hello readers! I finally finished the next chapter! I'm so sorry it took so long. I had no idea how to fit in Wonder and Tyler and was to lazy to try. I hope I was able to keep the Master in character. Please review!**

 **P.S. I'm still taking questions for the 50th chapter.**

* * *

"Rise and shine!" The Master said cheerfully, startling me awake as he entered Tyler and I's shared room. I glared darkly at him as I sat up. "Oh, don't give me that look," he scolded, still grinning. "Breakfast will be served shortly, so hurry up and get dressed." He walked out and the door slid shut behind him. I sighed and ran a hand through my messy hair, letting out a large yawn. I glanced down at Tyler who was still sleeping next to me.

"Tyler, time to wake up," I coaxed, running my hand through his hair.

"I don't want to," Tyler grumbled, curling into a ball and pulling the covers over his head. I chuckled lightly at his antics.

I took the covers and yanked them off him, causing him to let out a groan of protest. "Come on, sweetheart." He responded by curling into a tighter ball, doing his best to hide his face. I rolled my eyes in amusement. "If you don't get up, the Tickle Monster is going to get you."

Tyler uncurled himself and looked up at me with horror. "Please, not the Tickle Monster!"

I smiled mischievously and held up my hands in a claw like fashion. "Here he come!"

"No!" Tyler yelled, scrambling to get off the bed. I grabbed him and began to tickle his stomach. The 3 year old squealed and laughed uncontrollably as I tickled him. Finally, I stopped and sat back on my legs as Tyler laid on the bed, breathing heavily as he calmed down.

"Come on," I said, patting his leg and getting to my feet. A few minutes later, we were dressed with teeth brushed and hair combed. I opened the door, revealing a guard. He gestured for us to walk ahead as he followed Tyler and I to the conference room.

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming," the Master said as we approached him and Lucy standing just outside the conference room doors. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Well, let's go then, I'm starving!" He looped his arm through Lucy's and waltzed into the conference room. "I hope you guys are in the mood for pancakes!" He plopped himself down in a chair at the head of the table while Lucy sat in a chair to his left. Tyler sat in a chair to the Master's right and I sat on the other side of Tyler. Tish and Francine came forward each dressed in a maid's uniform and holding a tray of plates filled with food. They set the plates down in front of us and back off. "Oh, don't forget to feed the dog," the Master said, digging into his pancakes. I looked to the corner by the stairs to the bridge where a tent was set up. I watched sadly as the Doctor crawled out. Francine set a bowl of pancakes down for him, giving him a sympathetic look as she did so. We ate mostly in silence except for the Master, who chatted lively about the things on Earth he planned to change in between bites of bacon and pancake. "Mmm, that hit the spot," he said, leaning back in his chair and patting his stomach. He sighed in satisfaction and pushed his chair out from the table. "Time for my routine check of the ship. Come along." He got to his feet and walked towards the door, Lucy at his heels.

"Actually, Master, I was wondering if you would allow Tyler and I to stay behind with the Doctor?" I asked.

The Master cocked an eyebrow. "Now why would I allow that?"

"Because the Doctor and I are bonded and you know we can't be apart for long," I told him. "Just an hour, please. Leave a guard behind if you must, but can you give us at least an hour?" The Master considered me for a few moments and I was sure he was going to say no.

"Fine," he finally replied. "Only an hour." I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding and smiled in relief. He pointed to a guard. "You, stay with them." He then walked out, Lucy in tow.

I quickly led Tyler over to the Doctor who was sitting on the floor outside his tent. "Hey, how're you doing?"

The Doctor shrugged tiredly. "About as well as I can be given the circumstances," he replied. "What about you and Tyler?"

"Better than you," I said, nodding towards his tent. I sighed. "We're hanging in there. I miss you though…we both do."

The Doctor gazed at me sadly. "I know. I miss you too." I sat down beside him and laid my head on his shoulder and Tyler crawled into his lap. "We'll find a way out of this, I promise."

An hour later, the Master came back. "Did we enjoy our little play date?" He asked in a childish voice. The Doctor and I both glared at him. "Now now, children, don't be like that," he scolded lightly. "It's time for you two to go now. Say goodbye to daddy."

"Bye, daddy," Tyler said, wrapping his small arms around his father's neck. The Doctor wrapped an arm around his son, hugging him as tightly as he could in his weakened state.

"Come on, let's go," the Master said impatiently.

I ignored him and leaned in to kiss my husband on the cheek. "I love you, Theta," I whispered. As Tyler and I followed the Master out of the conference room, I gave the Doctor one last longing look, wondering how long this would go on.

Day after day, for a whole year this routine went on. Tyler and I spent our meals with the Master and he would let us spend an hour with the Doctor in the afternoon, supervised of course. After each meal, the Master would have Tyler and I escorted back to our room. The hour we got to spend with the Doctor was the one thing I looked forward to each day and the only thing besides Tyler that kept me going. Over the year we had been imprisoned Tyler had grown and was now 3 years old and was looking more and more like his father every day. His brown hair had grown so long in the last year that it hung in his eyes. I felt bad that Tyler always had his hair hanging down in his face, but it didn't seem to bother him. After seeing what the Master had done to his father, Tyler was no longer very fond of his uncle, which was fine by me. Of course, that didn't seem to stop the Master from doting on his nephew. He still made sure that we both had everything we needed to stay occupied. I was surprised that he still showed us some semblance of decorum. My guess was that our bond as family, minuscule as it was, kept him at least a bit civil towards us.

Tyler and I were currently locked in our room. Tyler was reading one of the books the Master had given him while I sketched. It was one of the few things that kept me calm. I did my best to pretend my son and I weren't locked up, that my husband wasn't in the body of an old man and being treated as the Master's dog. I drew scenes of happier days; the Doctor, Rose, and I lounging on his trench coat as we watched flying cars soar around New Earth; Martha and Shakespeare as they sat on the theater stage, attempting to tell each other jokes from their respective times; the Doctor and I sitting on our favorite hill on Gallifrey overlooking Arcadia on the day he proposed to me; the Doctor passed out in a chair, holding a sleeping month old Tyler in his arms. I smiled softly as I finished shading my latest drawing. It was the Doctor playing peek-a-boo with a three month old Tyler. Tyler was laying on the Doctor and I's bed, giggling away as his father hid behind his hands. The good feeling was squashed as I heard the lock on the door click and slide open, revealing my grinning brother.

"Good afternoon," the Master greeted cheerfully, strutting inside. I glanced up from my sketch and cocked an eyebrow, before looking back down. "What, no 'good afternoon my dearest brother'?" He asked with a pout. I didn't dignify him with a response. "Well, fine then," he huffed in mock offense. I merely rolled my eyes at him. He tossed something onto my bed. "Put that on. One of my guards will escort you to the bridge." I looked over the top of my sketch book at the articles of clothing he had tossed on the bed.

"Why?" I asked gruffly.

"You should look nice for your daily visit with your husband," the Master replied. "Now hurry up, your husband is waiting." He flashed me another smile and left.

I sighed and closed my sketch book. I grabbed the clothes he had left behind and held them up. He had given me an ankle length, turquoise ombre sleeveless dress. For Tyler, he had left a black suit and tie matching the one he was wearing. I sighed again and went into the adjoining bathroom to change. I examined myself in the mirror. I had to grudgingly admit, my brother did know how to pick a dress.

"Do I have to wear this, mummy?" Tyler whined as I fixed his tie.

"I'm afraid so, sweetie," I told him. "We wouldn't want to disappoint your uncle, would we?" Tyler shook his head. The last time I decided to ignore what my brother wanted...well, let's just say I won't be doing that again. Once Tyler and I were dressed, I opened the door to find a guard standing just outside. "I'm assuming you're here to escort us?" I asked. The guard gave me a stiff nod. I took Tyler's hand and gestured with the other. "Lead the way, then." We arrived at the doors to the bridge where my brother stood waiting with his hands clasped behind his back.

The Master turned and grinned when he saw Tyler and I. "There you are!" He said happily. He looked over the two of us appraisingly. "You look gorgeous! Now we can begin." He turned back around and spoke over the PA. "Citizens rejoice. Your lord and master stands on high playing Track 3 **.** " The doors to the bridge opened and the Master waltzed in with a dramatic spin as "I Can't Decide" played over the PA. He sang along as he slid over to Lucy, who was wearing a long red gown. The Master dipped his wife slightly, giving her a long kiss. I never thought it possible, but I felt bad for Lucy. Soon after the Master took control, he became physically abusive with her, the cut under her left eye as evidence. The Master, still singing, sat in one of the chairs at the table and spun as Francine, dressed in a maid's uniform served him tea. He took one sip and spit it out, tipping the cup upside down and dumping the tea all over the table. He ran up onto the bridge and rang an old-fashioned ship's bell. I looked to the small tent pitched in the corner of the room and watched sadly as the Doctor crawled out. The Master strutted over to him and forced him into a wheelchair then proceeded to push him around the room, still singing along. I still stood by the doors, my hands gripping Tyler's shoulders tightly as I watched the Master parade around the room. Words could not describe the anger I felt towards my brother and how much I wanted to make him pay for all he had done. The Master stopped wheelchair by one of the windows. "It's ready to rise, Doctor. The new Time Lord Empire." I looked out the window as some Toclafane flew by. "It's good, isn't it? Isn't it good? Anything? No? Anything?" The Master waved his hand in front of the Doctor's face, which remained impassive. "Oh, but they broke your hearts, didn't they? Those Toclafane, ever since you worked out what they really are. They say Martha Jones... has come back home. Now why would she do that?" I perked up slightly at that. It was good to hear that she was still alive. Course, I had known she was still alive, if she had been killed, the Master would have see fit to make sure everyone knew.

"Leave her alone," the Doctor growled breathlessly.

"But you said something to her, didn't you? On the day I took control. What did you tell her?"

"I have one thing to say to you. You know what it is," the Doctor replied.

The Master growled in frustration. "Oh, no you don't" He shoved the Doctor's wheelchair away till he hit a wall.

" **Valiant now entering Zone One airspace. Citizens rejoice,** " a voice said over the

"Come on, people!" The Master shouted, clapping his hands loudly. "What are we doing? Launch Day in 24 hours!" I looked back to the Doctor in time to see him press three fingers to his thigh as Francine walked by with her tray of tea. I raised an eyebrow. What did he have planned? The Master walked towards me, Lucy trailing behind him. "Go on," he said, waving a hand lazily at me. "Go be with your precious bonded. But don't forget, my guards will be watching. I'll be back shortly." I nodded and as soon as he left with his wife, I rushed over to the Doctor.

"You ok?" I asked, running my eyes over him.

The Doctor nodded with a tired smile. "I'm fine." I pushed his wheelchair back over to his tent and helped him out.

"What was with the three fingers?" I inquired quietly.

"Nothing you need to be concerned with." I gazed at him skeptically, but didn't press him. "You look beautiful," he said. I smiled at him.

"Daddy," Tyler said, crawling into his father's lap and hugging him.

The Doctor managed a tired smile as he wrapped an arm around his son. "Hey, Tyler. What did you bring this time?"

"I brought a book!" Tyler said happily. He held up a book he had taken from our room.

The Doctor took the book from Tyler and looked at the title. " _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_ , huh?" Tyler nodded. "Should we have mummy read to us?" Tyler nodded again, grinning widely. The Doctor looked to me. "Mummy?"

I chuckled quietly and took the book from the Doctor. I opened to the first chapter and began to read. "Chapter 1. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." Tyler sat in his father's lap as both he and the Doctor listened. As I read, I ignored everything around me but my son and husband. I could imagine, even if it was only for a short while, that we were back on the TARDIS, taking a break from our adventures and simply enjoying spending time with each other. Of course, the peace was short lived as the Master came strutting back in. I glanced at the clock which read "14:58". I inwardly groaned. He was two minutes early.

"Time for my massage. Who shall I have today?" The Master wondered aloud. "Tanya. Come on, sweetheart. Lucy, have you met Tanya? She's gorgeous." He took off his jacket and tossed it onto the table. "Tanya, when we get to the stars, I'm gonna take you to Katria Nova. Whirlpools of gold." He sat down in a chair as Tanya came up behind him. "You two should get to know each other. That might be fun." The Master groaned in content as Tanya began to massage his shoulders. Suddenly, an alarm sounded.

" **Condition red!** " The PA system announced. The Doctor shifted Tyler off his lap and into my arms.

The Master sat up and turned in annoyed confusion. "What the heck?" He jumped up and went up the stairs to the bridge.

" **Repeat: condition red.** " Francine grabbed the Master's jacket and threw it to Tish who then handed it to the Doctor. I watched, wide eyed as the Doctor took the laser screwdriver and aimed it at the Master.

The Master raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I see," he said, not sounding remotely concerned for his safety though he held his hands up.

"I told you. I have one thing to say," the Doctor reminded him. He pressed the button on the laser screwdriver, but nothing happened.

The Master laughed. "Isomorphic controls," he said smugly, leaning over and taking his screwdriver from the Doctor. He then promptly backhanded the Doctor, sending him to the floor.

"Doctor!" I shouted. I set Tyler on the floor and rushed over to the Doctor.

"Which means they only work for me," the Master continued, ignoring me. "Like this." He shot the wall behind Francine. "Say sorry!"

"Sorry. Sorry. Sorry!" Francine apologized quickly, cowering in terror.

"Mum!" Tish shouted, rushing to her.

"Didn't you learn anything from the blessed Saint Martha?" The Master asked. Lucy ran over, picked up his jacket, and helped him put it on. "Siding with the Doctor is a very dangerous thing to do. Take them away."

"Move! Come on," a guard ordered. He forced Francine an Tish out at gunpoint.

The Master watched them go with a satisfied smile. He walked over to the Doctor and I and grabbed the Doctor by his arm. "Okay. Gotcha," he said, dropping the Doctor into a chair. "There you go, Gramps." He sat on the edge of the table and nudged the Doctor's chair with his foot. "Oh, do you know, I remember the days when the Doctor, oh, that famous Doctor, was waging a time war. Battling Sea Devils and Axons. He sealed the rift at the Medusa Cascade single-handed. Ooh. And look at him now. Stealing screwdrivers. How did he ever come to this? Oh yeah. Me!" The Master laughed gleefully and I had to try very hard not to knock him off the table.

"I just need you to listen," the Doctor told him breathlessly.

The Master glared at the Doctor. "No, it's my turn. Revenge! Best served hot. And this time... It's a message for Miss Jones." My hearts skipped a beat. Whatever he planned to do, I knew it wasn't going to be good. A few short minutes later, the Master had a camera set up. I was sitting at the table, out of the site of the camera, with Tyler sitting on my lap. The Doctor was still in his chair, in direct line with the camera. The Master approached the camera. "My people. Salutations on this, the eve of war. Lovely woman. But I know there's all sorts of whispers down there. Stories of a child, walking the Earth, giving you hope." He walked to stand next to the Doctor. "But I ask you... how much hope has this man got? Say hello, Gandalf. Except he's not that old but he's an alien with a much greater lifespan than you stunted, little apes. What if it showed? What if I suspend your capacity to regenerate? All 900 years of your life, Doctor. What if we could see them?" I watched in horror as the Master pulled out his laser screwdriver again and pointed it at the Doctor. The Doctor began to writhe in pain as he was forcibly aged. I winced and gripped my chest in pain as, once again, the Doctor was unable to prevent his pain from leaking through our link. "Older and older and older." I closed my eyes and gripped Tyler tightly, unable to see my husband in such pain. "Down you go, Doctor. Down, down, down you go." The pain finally stopped and I opened my eyes. I looked to where the Doctor had collapsed, but only saw his suit lying empty on the ground. The Master tilted his head slightly, considering the pie of clothes. "Doctor." He knelt in front of the pile of clothes. The pile shifted and a large, bald head emerged followed by a large pair of eyes. The Master walked back to the camera again. "Received and understood, Miss Jones?" With that, he ended his broadcast. Not caring about the possible consequences, I quickly set Tyler on the floor and rushed to the Doctor.

"Theta," I whispered as I knelt next to him.

The Master walked over and put a hand on my shoulder. "You know, it's not good for you to be married to someone who hides their age."

I clenched my hands into fists. "You twisted little-"

"Woah! Careful! Don't want your son hearing you say that kind of language," the Master said, cutting me off. He smiled and patted me on the shoulder. "I think you've had enough social time." He nodded to one of the guards. The guard came over and gestured to the door. I looked back down at the Doctor, tears shining in my eyes. He placed a tiny reassuring hand on mine and nodded. I bent down and kissed the top of his head before getting to my feet. Tyler walked over and I picked him up.

"Bye, Daddy," Tyler said, waving to his father as I followed the guard out.

The next few hours went by very slowly. I couldn't get the sound of the Doctor's screams out of my head. I sat on my bed with my head in my hands for what felt like forever. I felt a small hand on my leg and looked up.

"You ok, Mummy?" Tyler asked, looking up at me, his turquoise eyes shining with innocent concern.

I sighed heavily. "I don't know, sweetie," I told him honestly.

Tyler climbed onto the bed beside me and wrapped his small arms around my neck. "It'll be ok, Mummy. We'll be ok." I turned slightly and wrapped my around him. As the tears began to slide down my cheeks, I buried my face in my son's shoulder. For the last year, I had been trying very hard to be strong for both my husband and my son. However, after hearing my son try and cheer me up, telling me everything was going to be ok even after seeing what the Master can and will do to get what he wants, it was enough to make my resolve crumble. Tyler and I sat on the bed, hugging each other, drawing comfort simply from each others presence. Finally, I pulled away, wiping my tears. "Better?" He asked.

I nodded. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" I wondered, smiling softly as I cupped his face in my hands. I glanced at the clock on the wall. "Come on, sweetheart, time for bed."

"Will you read me a bedtime story?" Tyler asked, giving a hopeful look.

I chuckled quietly. "Of course."

I was awakened by the door to Tyler and I's room opening. I opened my bleary eyes to see a guard standing in the doorway.

"The Master wants you and your son on the bridge immediately," the guard said.

"What does he want this time? For me and my son to watch him age my husband another hundred years?" I growled, glaring at the guard.

"Martha Jones has been captured," the guard replied.

"Ah, so he wants us to watch her execution," I said. "Give me a minute to wake up my son." The guard nodded and walked out. I gazed down at my son, who was still sleeping peacefully next to me. I reached out and stroked the side of his face. "Tyler, you need to get up, sweetheart." I was met with a quiet groan of protest as he curled himself into ball. I smiled slightly in amusement. "I know you don't want to get up, sweetheart, but Auntie Martha is waiting for us on the conference room." That woke him up.

"Auntie Martha is back?" Tyler asked, sitting up so quickly he almost smashed his head into my chin.

I nodded. "Yeah. The Master wants us to be able to…" I trailed off. How could I tell my son that we were going bridge so we could witness Martha's execution?

Tyler tilted his head in confusion. "To what, Mummy?" I sighed, steeling myself. The door opened again just as I was about to reply.

"Your minute is up, let's go," the guard ordered. I got to my feet and took Tyler's hand as we followed the guard. We entered the conference room to discover we weren't the only was who were brought out to see Martha's execution. Jack was standing off to the side, flanked by two guards and Francine, Tish, and Clive were huddled on the other side of the room, also flanked by guards. I spotted the Doctor hanging in a cage and I clenched my jaw. The Master was standing on the bridge with Lucy standing behind him, looking rather nervous.

The Master grinned when he saw me. "Ah! So nice of you to join us, darling sister!" I merely glared at him, not trusting my mouth at the moment. "Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," he pouted, not even remotely fazed by my glare. "Citizens of Earth, rejoice and observe." The conference room door opened to reveal Martha flanked by two guards. The guards backed off, leaving Martha to walk forward alone. She had changed in the last year. She was now wearing black cargo pants and a combat vest. I had to admire her as she walked towards her execution, her head held high. She glanced around the room and I smiled as she looked my way. She smiled back. She stopped in front of the stairs and stared up at the Master, stone faced. "Your teleport device. In case your thought I'd forgotten," the Master said. Martha reached into her pocket and tossed him Jack's vortex manipulator. "And now... kneel." Martha obeyed. "Down below, the fleet is ready to launch. Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe." He talked into his comm. "Are we ready?"

" **The fleet awaits your signal. Rejoice!** " A man replied.

"Three minutes to align the black hole converters. Counting down!" A clock on the wall began counting down. The Master grinned. " I never could resist a ticking clock. My children, are you ready?"

" **We will fly and blaze and slice! We will fly and blaze and slice!** " The Toclafane answered.

"At zero, to mark this day, the child, Martha Jones, will die. Ha, my first blood. Ha, any last words?" Martha merely glared at him. "No?" He looked to the Doctor. "Such a disappointment, this one. Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the time vortex. This one's useless!" I had to resist the urge to throw something at him. Martha may not have absorbed the time vortex, but she was far from useless. The Master turned back to Martha. "Bow your head. And so it falls to me, the Master of all, to establish from this day, a new order of Time Lords! From this day forward…" The Master trailed off, glancing down at Martha in confusion as she started to chuckle. "What? What's so funny?"

"A gun?" Martha looked up at the Master, her eyebrows raised.

"What about it?"

"A gun in four parts?"

"Yes, and I destroyed it."

"A gun in four parts scattered across the world? I mean, come on. Did you really believe that?" Martha scoffed.

The Master raised his eyebrows, not quite understanding what Martha was getting at. "What do you mean?"

"As if I would ask her to kill," the Doctor spoke up. I looked at my husband and he sent me a wink. I grinned. I should have known he would have a plan.

"Oh, well, it doesn't matter. I've got her exactly where I want her," the Master replied.

"But I knew what Professor Docherty would do," Martha said. "The Resistance knew about her son. I told her about the gun, so she'd get me here. At the right time."

The Master rolled his eyes. "Oh, but you're still gonna die!"

"Don't you wanna know what I was doing? Travelling the world?" Martha asked.

"Tell me," the Master demanded.

"I told a story, that's all," Martha said. "No weapons, just words. I did just what the Doctor said. I went across the continents all on my own. And everywhere I went, I found the people, and I told them my story. I told them about the Doctor. And I told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor."

"Faith and hope? Is that all?" The Master scoffed.

"No, 'cause I gave them an instruction. Just as the Doctor said." Martha got to her feet, smiling. "I told them that if everyone thinks of one word, at one specific time-"

"Nothing will happen!" The Master cut in. "Is that your weapon?! Prayer?!"

"Right across the world," Marth continued. "One word, just one thought, at one moment... but with 15 satellites!"

The Master blinked. "What?"

I grinned. "The Archangel Network."

"A telepathic field binding the whole human race together, with all of them, every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time. And that word... is Doctor," Martha finished. The countdown reached zero and a glowing field appeared around the Doctor.

"Stop it. No, no, no, no, you don't!" The Master shouted, beginning to panic. Around the room, people closed their eyes, saying the Doctor's name. "Do…" The large plasma screen on the wall showed crowds of people swarming the streets, all chanting 'Doctor'. "Stop this right now! Stop it!" Even Lucy began to chant 'Doctor'. I glanced down as I heard Tyler recite his father's name, grinning widely.

"I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices," the Doctor said, now free of his cage and back in the body of an old man.

"I order you to stop!" The Master shouted.

I closed my eyes and added my voice, saying my bonded's name with all my hearts. "Doctor." I watched as he finally returned to normal.

"The one thing you can't do. Stop them thinking," the Doctor continued. Tyler cheered as I laughed in delight. The Master stared at the Doctor in shock as he used the telepathic field to levitate. "Tell me the human race is degenerate now when they can do this." Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Martha run to her family, embracing them tightly.

"No!" The Master yelled. He fired his laser screwdriver at the Doctor, but the field absorbed it.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," the Doctor apologized.

"Then I'll kill them!" The Master aimed his laser at Martha and her family. The Doctor held out his hand, causing the laser to fly across the room. "You can't do this! You can't do... It's not fair!"

"And you know what happens now."

"No!" The Master backed away down the stairs as the Doctor floated towards him. "No! No! No!"

"You wouldn't listen."

"No!" The Master backed against the wall, staring wide eyed at the Doctor like a wild animal caught in a trap.

"Because you know what I'm going to say."

"No!" The Master curled into the fetal position against the wall. The Doctor landed and walked over the the whimpering Master and wrapped his arms around him.

"I forgive you," the Doctor said.

"My children! Protect the paradox!" The Master ordered.

"Captain! The paradox machine!" The Doctor shouted.

Jack nodded. "You men! With me! You stay here!" He ran out with a few of the guards.

I looked back to the Master and noticed him pulling Jack's manipulator out of his pocket. "Doctor!" I yelled.

The Doctor jerked his head back to the Master. "No!" He put his hand over the manipulator just as the Master activated it and they both disappeared. A moment later, alarms sounded.

I picked up Tyler set him in a chair. "Stay here, ok?" Tyler nodded and I rushed up the stairs to the bridge. Outside, I could see a swarm of spheres heading our way.

"We've all 6 billion spheres heading straight for us!" Martha exclaimed as she looked out the window beside me.

"We just have to wait for Jack to destroy the Paradox machine," I told her. "Good to see you by the way!"

Martha grinned. "You too!"

"Hurry up, Jack," I muttered as the spheres got closer. Suddenly, the spheres disappeared. "Woo!" I cheered. My relief quickly turned to surprise as the Valiant rocked violently. I lost my balance, but was caught by a pair of pinstriped clad arms. I looked up at my husband and grinned. "Hi!"

"Hello!" He replied, and identical grin on his face. "Everyone down! Time is reversing!" He dragged me to the floor and we came face-to-face with Martha. We grinned at each other as all around us paper flew everywhere as time reversed. Finally, the Valiant stopped rocking and everything settled. The Doctor slowly got to his feet and checked the controls. "The paradox is broken. We've reverted back, one year and one day. Two minutes past 8:00 in the morning." I walked over and turned on the comms.

" **This is UNIT Central. What's happened up there? We just saw the President assassinated!** " A man exclaimed.

"Just after the President was killed, but just before the spheres arrived," I said.

"Everything back to normal," the Doctor agreed. "Planet Earth restored. None of it happened. The rockets, the terror. It never was."

"What about the spheres?" Martha asked.

"Trapped at the end of the universe."

"But I remember it," Francine said, a haunted look on her face.

"We're at the eye of the storm. The only ones who'll ever know," the Doctor told her. He grinned widely as he spotted Clive. "Oh, hello! You must be Mr Jones! We haven't actually met."

"Daddy!" Tyler exclaimed, hopping down from his chair and running towards his father.

The Doctor rushed down the stairs and held his arms open. "Tyler!" Tyler ran into his father's arms and the Doctor picked him up and swung him around, causing the 3 year old to laugh in delight. I was so busy watching my husband and son laugh together for the first time in 2 and a half years that I almost missed the Master dashing for the door. Fortunately, he didn't get very far as Jack appeared at the door.

"Whoa, big fella! You don't want to miss the party," Jack joked. "Cuffs." A guard handed him a pair of cuffs and he cuffed the Master's hands behind his back. "So, what do we do with this one?" He asked.

"We kill him," Clive declared.

"We execute him," Tish enunciated.

The Doctor shook his head, still holding Tyler. "No, that's not the solution."

"Oh, I think so," Francine said, aiming a gun at the Master. "Cause all those... things, they still happened because of him. I saw them."

The Master glared at her challengingly. "Go on! Do it!"

I walked over to Francine. "I know what he did to you and your family was horrible, but killing him won't change anything." Francine glanced at me, the hand holding the gun shaking slightly. "If you kill him, how does that make you any better than him?" I slowly took her hand. "You're better than this." Francine dropped the gun and I pulled her into a brief hug before handing her off to Martha.

"You still haven't answered the question," the Master pointed out. "What happens to me?"

"You're my responsibility from now on," the Doctor decided. "The only other Time Lord left in existence."

"Yeah, but you can't trust him," Jack protested.

"No," the Doctor agreed. "The only safe place for him is the TARDIS."

The Master frowned in disgust. "You mean you're just gonna... keep me?"

"Hmm. If that's what I have to do." The Doctor glanced at Jack. "It's time to change." He looked to me. "I have a family to care for." He looked to Tyler, who he was still holding." I haven't been able to be a proper father. Think it's about time we settled down." I smiled softly at him. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out and the Master staggered backwards. I jerked my head to where the sound came from and noticed Lucy standing with a gun in her hand. I ran forward and caught the Master as his knees buckled.

"There you go. I've got you. I've got you," I assured him as I gently lowered him to the floor. The Doctor knelt next to me, an arm around Tyler.

"Always the women," the Master said through gritted teeth.

"I didn't see her," the Doctor told him.

"Dying in your arms," the Master scoffed. "Happy now?"

"No, you're not dying," I told him, tears welling in my eyes. "It's just a silly bullet. You can regenerate."

"No."

"One little bullet. Come on," the Doctor encouraged.

"I guess you don't know me so well. I refuse," the Master declared.

"Regenerate. Just regenerate," the Doctor pleaded, his voice breaking. "Please! Please! Just regenerate! Come on!"

"And spend the rest of my life imprisoned with you two?"

"You have to," I told him, a few tears sliding down my cheeks. "I don't care what you've done in the past. You're my brother, you're family. Remember all the fun we had as kids? Just the three of us?" I sniffed. "You can't die, you have to regenerate, please!"

"How about that? I win," the Master said, his smile quickly turning into a grimace. He paused. "Will it stop, Doctor? The drumming. Will it stop?" I watched as my brother closed his eyes and breathed his last. I drew in a shaky breath as I held my brother close. I shut my eyes tightly, the tears now flowing freely as I cried.

Later that night, the Doctor and I stood on Earth, watching as the Master's funeral pyre burned bright against the night sky. I leaned my head against the Doctor's shoulder and he wrapped an arm around my waist. We watched for a while before heading back to the TARDIS.

Back in Cardiff, the Doctor, Martha, Jack, Tyler, and I stood at the rails by the Pierhead Building, looking out over the bay.

"Time was, every single one of these people knew your name," Martha told the Doctor as she looked at all the people walking by, having no recollection of what happened. "Now they've all forgotten you."

"Good," the Doctor replied.

"Back to work," Jack said, slipping under the rails.

"I really don't mind, though. Come with me," the Doctor offered.

"I had plenty of time to think that past year, the Year That Never Was. And I kept thinking about that team of mine," Jack said, glancing back at the Pierhead Building. "Like you said, Doctor, responsibility."

I chuckled. "Kind of hard to argue with defending the Earth."

"Guess so," the Doctor agreed, smiling. He reached out to shake Jack's hand, but instead exposed the manipulator.

"Hey, I need that!" Jack protested as the Doctor used his sonic on the manipulator.

"I can't have you walking around with a time-travelling teleport," the Doctor told him. "You could go anywhere, twice. The second time to apologise."

"And what about me? Can you fix that? Will I ever be able to die?" Jack asked worriedly.

"Nothing I can do. You're an impossible thing, Jack."

Jack laughed. "Been called that before." He saluted. "Sir. Ma'am. Els. Tyler." He turned to leave, but stopped. "But I keep wondering... what about aging? 'Cause I can't die but I keep getting older. The odd little grey hair, you know? What happens if I live for a million years?"

The Doctor shook his head with an apologetic smile. "I really don't know."

"Okay, vanity. Sorry. Yeah, can't help it," Jack replied with a chuckle. "Used to be a poster boy when I was a kid back on the Boeshane Peninsula. Tiny little place. I was the first one ever to be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud of me. They Face of Boe they called me." The Doctor and Martha's jaws dropped, but Jack didn't see to notice. "Hmm, I'll see you." He jogged off towards the water tower.

"Can't be," Martha said, staring after Jack.

"No, definitely not. No," the Doctor said, shaking his head. Martha laughed in disbelief. "No." I laughed at the looks on their faces. The Doctor glanced at me. "Did you know?" I nodded as I continued to laugh. I may no longer have the foreknowledge I had as Elena, but I did remember that little piece of trivia.

Later, the Doctor and I stood outside the Jones' home, leaning against the TARDIS and waiting for Martha. Inside the house, Francine glanced out the window and gave us a small smile. The two of us then went back into the TARDIS. I smiled lightly as I entered the console room, fondly patting one of the coral arches as I passed. I had missed the old girl. I glanced down at Tyler, who was sitting on the grating and tapping on the glass container that held the Doctor's hand. I walked over and sat down on the jump seat, my shoulders sagging from the weight of everything that had happened.

"You going to be ok?" The Doctor asked as he approached and placed his hands on my waist.

I sighed. "Eventually." The Doctor cupped my face, stroking his thumbs over my cheeks as he gazed softly at me. He leaned down and captured my lips in a long awaited, passionate kiss. I slid my arms around his neck and played with the hair at the nape of his neck. We were both feeling the effects of the Year that Never Was. While we had been able to see each other, we weren't allowed to engage in basic couple activities other than simple hand holding or a brief peck on the cheek and that had really taken it's toll on us. We had been so deprived of each other neither one of us even cared that our son was still in the room who thankfully was still too occupied with hand in jar to notice. We pulled away, however, before we could get too far, knowing the console room was not the place. We both turned as the doors opened and Martha walked in.

"Right then!" The Doctor said enthusiastically. "Off we go! The open road! There is a burst of starfire right now over the coast of Meta Sigmafolio. Oh, the sky is like oil on water. Fancy a look? Or... back in time. We could... I don't know, Charles II? Henry VIII? I know! What about Agatha Christie? I'd love to meet Agatha Christie! I bet she's brilliant!" I looked at Martha to see she wasn't smiling and realized she wasn't planning on coming with us. The Doctor too realized this and immediately sobered. "Okay."

"I just can't," Martha told him sadly.

The Doctor nodded in understanding. "Yeah."

"Spent all these years training to be a doctor. Now I've got people to look after," Martha continued. "They saw half the planet slaughtered and they're devastated. I can't leave them."

"Of course not." The Doctor smiled. "Thank you." He hugged her. "Martha Jones, you saved the world."

Martha smiled and nodded. "Yes, I did. I spent a lot of time with you thinking I was second best. But you know what? I am good."

"And don't you forget it," I told her. I drew her into a tight hug. I was going to miss her.

"You two gonna be all right?" Martha asked.

The Doctor nodded. "Always. Yeah."

"Right, then." Martha gave us each a kiss on the cheek. She turned to leave, but was stopped by Tyler tugging on her sleeve.

"Where are you going?" Tyler asked, looking up at Martha with innocent turquoise eyes.

Martha knelt next to the toddler, taking his hands in hers. "I have to go, Tyler. My family needs me."

"But what if we need you?" Tyler asked.

Martha smile softly. "Don't worry, I'll see you again." Tyler threw his small arms around Martha's neck and she hugged him back. "You look after your mum and dad, ok?" Tyler nodded. She gave Tyler a kiss on his forehead and got to her feet. "Oh, before I go." She reached into her pocket and tossed her phone to the Doctor. "Keep that. Cause I'm not having you two disappear. If that rings, when that rings, you better come running. Got it?"

The Doctor nodded. "Got it."

"I'll see you both again," Martha assured us. She flashed us a smile and left. I closed my eyes and sighed as she left. I picked Tyler up and set him on the jump seat. The Doctor and I exchanged sullen glances, both of us knowing we were going to miss Martha. Without a word, the Doctor turned towards to console and flicked a switch. Almost immediately, the TARDIS began to spin out of control as the klaxon bell sounded. I clung to the jump seat, making sure Tyler didn't fall off as the Doctor struggled to regain control. The TARDIS settled down, leaving the Doctor and I both very confused.

"Stop that! Stop it! What was all that about, eh?" The Doctor asked the TARDIS, tapping on the tie rotor. "Eh? What's your problem?"

"What did you do?" I asked, sitting up straight and checking to make sure Tyler was okay.

"Why do you assume it was my fault?" The Doctor asked indignantly.

"Cause it usually is," I replied. The Doctor huffed and walked around the console to examine the controls.

"Right, just settle down, now…" Another man said. The Doctor and the man, neither paying attention to their surroundings, bumped into each other.

"Excuse me.." The Doctor said.

"So sorry…" The man apologized. I stared, wide eyed at the scene before me. To my left stood my Doctor and to my right stood the fifth Doctor. Both Doctor's froze and stared at each other.

"What?" Ten exclaimed.

"What?" Five mimicked, wearing an identical flabbergasted look. Both Doctor's approached each other slowly and I could practically see the gears spinning in their heads as they attempted to analyze the situation.

"What?"

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Next chapter in Time Crash for those who haven't seen it. Once again, please review!  
**


	44. Time Crash

**Hello readers! I bring you the next chapter! Sorry it took so long. Once again, I had trouble fitting Wonder and Tyler into it. I just noticed that I have almost 300 followers and nearly 200 reviews! Thank you guys so much for staying with me. I love that so many people like my story! Oh, and I got to meet David Tennant at a con a couple weeks ago! Wish I could have gotten a photo op or autograph, but they sold out to quickly. Saw some awesome cosplay though. There was one kid dressed as the empty child who asked David a question (Guess what he asked XD). Anyway, on with the show!  
**

 **Note: I'm still taking questions for the 50th chapter. Please review guys, I love hearing from you!**

* * *

 **Previously**

" _I'll see you both again," Martha assured us. She flashed us a smile and left. I closed my eyes and sighed as she left. I picked Tyler up and set him on the jump seat. The Doctor and I exchanged sullen glances, both of us knowing we were going to miss Martha. Without a word, the Doctor turned towards to console and flicked a switch. Almost immediately, the TARDIS began to spin out of control as the klaxon bell sounded. I clung to the jump seat, making sure Tyler didn't fall off as the Doctor struggled to regain control. The TARDIS settled down, leaving the Doctor and I both very confused._

" _Stop that! Stop it! What was all that about, eh?" The Doctor asked the TARDIS, tapping on the tie rotor. "Eh? What's your problem?"_

" _What did you do?" I asked, sitting up straight and checking to make sure Tyler was okay._

" _Why do you assume it was my fault?" The Doctor asked indignantly._

" _Cause it usually is," I replied. The Doctor huffed and walked around the console to examine the controls._

" _Right, just settle down, now…" Another man said. The Doctor and the man, neither paying attention to their surroundings, bumped into each other._

" _Excuse me.." The Doctor said._

" _So sorry…" The man apologized. I stared, wide eyed at the scene before me. To my left stood my Doctor and to my right stood the fifth Doctor. Both Doctor's froze and stared at each other._

" _What?" Ten exclaimed._

" _What?" Five mimicked, wearing an identical flabbergasted look. Both Doctor's approached each other slowly and I could practically see the gears spinning in their heads as they attempted to analyze the situation._

" _What?"_

* * *

 **Present**

"Who are you?" Five demanded.

Ten grinned boyishly at his younger incarnation. "Aw, brilliant! I mean, totally wrong, big emergency, universe goes bang in five minutes, but... brilliant!"

Five glared at Ten, not at all amused. "I'm the Doctor, who are you?"

"Yes, you are, you ARE the Doctor," Ten agreed, still grinning.

"Yes, I am, I'm the Doctor," Five said exasperated.

"Oh, good for you, Doctor. Good for brilliant old you."

"Is there something wrong with you?" Five asked, frowning in frustration.

If possible, Ten grinned even wider, barely containing his giddiness. "Ooo, there it goes, the frowny face! I remember that one! Mind you." Ten frowned as he grabbed Five's cheeks and squished them. "It's saggier than it ought to be." He played a bit with Five's sideburns. "Hair's a bit greyer, that's cos of me, though, two of us together has shorted out the time differential, should all snap back in place when we get you home, be able to close that coat again," he teased, grabbing Five's lapels and attempting to close his coat. "But never mind that, look at you! The hat, the coat, the crickety cricket stuff, the... stick of celery, yeah... Brave choice, celery, but fair play to you, not a lot of men can carry off a decorative vegetable."

"Shut! Up!" Five snapped, snatching his hat off angrily. "There is something very wrong with my TARDIS, and I've got to do something about it very very quickly, and it would help, it really would help, if there wasn't some skinny idiot ranting in my face about every single thing that happens to be in front of him!"

Ten sobered up. "Oh, okay. Um, sorry. Doctor."

"Thank you." Five turned back to the console.

"Aw, the back of my head!" Ten cried enthusiastically, causing me to roll my eyes.

"What!?" Five exclaimed, absolutely baffled by Ten's behavior.

"Sorry, sorry, it's not something you see every day, is it, the back of your own head," Ten explained casually. He examined the back of Five's head and frowned. "Mind you, I can see why you wear a hat... I don't want to seem vain, but could you keep that on?"

"What have you done to my TARDIS?" Five demanded, glancing around the console room. "You've changed the desktop theme, haven't you? What's this one? Coral?"

"Well…" Ten said with a shrug.

"It's worse than the leopardskin."

"Oh, I don't know," I piped up from my place on the jump seat. "I rather like it."

Five spun around to face me. "Who are you?" He demanded, finally noticing I was there. His gaze shifted slightly to the left to where Tyler sat clinging to me and staring at the stranger in our TARDIS. "And why is there a child in my TARDIS?"

I placed a hand on my chest in mock offense. "I'm hurt, Doctor. I haven't changed that much since my last body."

"Wonder?!" Five exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. "What are you doing here? I thought you were back on Gallifrey."

"Well, in your time, I am," I told him. "I'm about a few hundred years in your future."

"And what about the child?" Five asked, nodding towards Tyler who had yet to say anything. "Is he another companion or something?"

"Or something," I answered with a shrug.

"Mummy," Tyler said quietly, tugging on my sleeve to get my attention. "Why is there a strange man in Daddy's TARDIS?"

Five blinked as was Tyler said registered. "Mummy? Daddy?" His gaze shifted between Ten, Tyler, and me.

"I'll explain later," I replied. Five frowned at my vague answer, but went back to examining the TARDIS console, pulling out his half-moon spectacles.

"Aw, and out they come! The brainy specs!" Ten exclaimed gleefully, bouncing on the balls of his feet in his excitement. "You don't even need them! You just think they make you look a bit clever!"

"Well, they do," I told him. "Though, the word I would use would be 'sexy'." Ten grinned in satisfaction and winked at me. Suddenly, the klaxon bell sounded.

"That's an alert... Level five. Indicating a temporal collision!" Five announced. "It's like... two TARDISes have merged, but there's definitely only one TARDIS present…" As he rushed around, Ten casually leaned against the monitor, watching his younger version. "It's like two time zones at war in the heart of the TARDIS... That's a paradox. Could blow a hole in the space-time continuum the size of…" Ten shoved the monitor into Five's line of view, causing the younger to frown. "Well, actually, the exact size of... Belgium. That's a bit undramatic, isn't it? Belgium?"

"Need this?" Ten asked, pulling out his sonic screwdriver.

Five shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine."

"Oh no, of course," Ten agreed, flipping his sonic in the air and catching it before replacing it back in his jacket. "You mostly went hands free, didn't you, like 'eh, I'm the Doctor, I can save the universe using a kettle and some string, and look at me, I'm wearing a vegetable'."

Five stalked over to Ten, coming to stand nose to nose with his older version. "Who are you?"

"Take a look," Ten told him softly. As Five examined Ten's face, his brows raised and eyes widened as he seemed to realize who was standing in front of him.

' _This ought to be good_ ,' I thought.

"Oh," Five murmured. "Oh, no…"

Ten grinned. "Oh, yes."

"You're... oh, no…"

"Here it comes... yeah, yeah, I am…"

"A fan," Five finished, his face twisted in disgust.

"Yeah... What?" Ten asked, his grin morphing into confusion. I couldn't help but laugh at the look of offense and confusion on my bonded's face. Tyler tilted his head in confusion, not understanding what I found so funny about the situation.

"Level ten, now," Five said as the console beeped. "This is bad. Two minutes to Belgium!"

"What'd'ya mean, a fan? I'm not just a fan, I'm you!" Ten exclaimed.

Five glared at his older version and waved a hand in annoyance. "Okay, you're my biggest fan. Look, it's perfectly understandable, I go zooming around space and time, saving planets, fighting monsters, and being, well, let's be honest, pretty sort of marvelous…" Ten nodded in agreement.

' _And humble too,_ ' I thought, shaking my head in amusement.

"So naturally, now and then, people notice me. Start up their little groups. That LINDA lot." Five's eyes widened in horror. "Are you one of them? How did you get in here? Can't have you lot knowing where I live…"

"Listen to me, I'm YOU. I'm you with a new face," Ten insisted, slapping his cheeks. "Check out this bone structure, Doctor, cos one day you're gonna be shaving it."

"And I'll be kissing it," I added. Once again, an alarm went off, this time startling Tyler.

"The cloister bell!" Five exclaimed.

"Yep, right on time. That's my cue…" Ten said. He started bustling around the console, pulling different levers.

"In a minute, we're gonna generate a black hole strong enough to swallow the entire universe!" Five shouted, working quickly on the other side of the console.

"Yeah... That's my fault, actually," Ten admitted sheepishly.

"I told you," I said, shooting Ten a smug look. The Time Lord merely rolled his eyes at me and continued.

"I was rebuilding the TARDIS, forgot to put the shields back up. Your TARDIS and my TARDIS... well, the same TARDIS, different voyages in the same time stream, collided and wurp, there ya go, end of the universe, butterfingers, but, don't worry, I know exactly how this all works out, watch…" Ten meddled with a few switches and buttons. "Venting the thermo buffer... Flooring the helmic regulator... And just to finish off, let's fire those zyton crystals."

Five quickly grabbed Ten and pulled him away from the console. "You'll blow up the TARDIS!"

"Only way out."

Five frowned. "Who told you that?"

"You told me that!" Ten slammed his hand on a button and I heard an explosion which shook the TARDIS slightly, but nothing else happened.

"A supernova and a black hole at the exact same instant…" Five breathed, staring at the monitor in awe.

"Explosion cancels out implosion," Ten explained.

"Matter remains constant."

Ten grinned. "Brilliant."

"Far too brilliant. I've never met anyone else who could fly the TARDIS like that."

"And you still haven't," I told him. "Not even I could fly her like that."

"You didn't have time to work all that out. Even I couldn't do it!" Five said.

"I didn't work it out. I didn't have to," Ten told him.

"You remembered," Five realized.

Ten nodded. "Because you will remember."

"You remembered being me, watching you doing that... You only knew what to do because I saw you do it."

Ten grinned. "Wibbly wobbley…"

"Timey wimey!" They both finished. Ten raised his hand for a high-five, but Five merely raised an eyebrow.

Five turned to me. "So, now that the crisis has passed, do you care to explain why this little boy called you mummy?"

I smiled lightly. "I thought that would have been obvious."

"Well, yes," Five replied. "I suppose that would mean he's your son." I nodded and he frowned in thought. "But who's his father?"

I slowly walked over to stand next to Ten, a mischievous glint in my eyes. "Now, where would be the fun of simply telling you? Why don't you use your deductive reasoning and figure it out," I told him. Tyler jumped down from the jump seat and came over to sand next to me, his small hand grabbing a fistful of my shirt as he stared up at his father's younger incarnation. I placed a hand on Tyler's head, running my fingers gently through his hair. "You always did love to work things out for yourself." Five's gaze shifted between me and Tyler and then to Ten as he slipped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to his side. He eyed Ten's hand as Ten rubbed his thumb on my waist. I smiled as Five's eyes widened slightly as he seemed to put the pieces together.

"He's your son too," Five said, staring at Ten. Ten smiled and nodded. "But you're me, an older version." He glanced down at Ten and I's left hands, taking note of the rings that decorated our ring fingers. "You're married!"

"Very happily," I confirmed.

"We get married?" Five asked in pleasant surprise. He glanced down at Tyler who was still staring at him with big, turquoise eyes. "And have a child?"

"Eventually," I said with a small smile. "It's far in your future I'm afraid. Tyler, this is your father when he was younger. Say hello."

"Hello," Tyler greeted quietly. Five smiled at his future on. Yet another alarm sounded and Ten jumped to the console.

"Right! TARDISes are separating," Ten announced. "Sorry Doctor, time's up, back to long ago. Where are you now? Nyssa and Tegan? Cybermen and Mara and Time Lords in funny hats and the Master? Oh, he just showed up again, same as ever."

"Oh, no, really? Does he still have that rubbish beard?" Five asked with an amused smile.

"No, no beard this time. Well, a wife." Five's form began to fade.

"Oh. I seem to be off. What can I say? Thank you. Doctor."

"Thank YOU," Ten replied, smiling fondly at his younger incarnation.

"I'm very welcome," Five said as he disappeared. Ten flipped a switch on the console, bringing Five back into view.

"You know," Ten said, picking up Five's hat from the console and handing it to him. "I loved being you. Back when I first started at the very beginning, I was always trying to be old and grumpy and important, like you do when you're young. And then I was you. I was all bashing about and playing cricket and my voice going all squeaky when I shouted, I still do that! The voice thing, I got that from you!" Five smiled and put his hat back on. "Oh!" Ten put his foot on the console. "And the trainers! And…" Ten pulled out his out black-framed glasses. "Snap! Cause you know what, Doctor? You were MY Doctor."

Five raised his hat in farewell. "To days to come."

Ten smiled. "All my love to long ago."

"And Wonder, I look forward to seeing you again," Five said, giving me a loving smile. He turned to his future son. "Look after your mum and dad, Tyler." Tyler nodded and Five disappeared for the last time and I smiled at where he once stood.

"Oh, Doctor?" Five's voice called. "Remember to put your shields up." Ten hit a button on the console. Suddenly, the Doctor, Tyler, and I were thrown to the floor as something crashed through the side of the TARDIS. I coughed as I inhaled some dust as I sat up.

"Wonder, are you okay?" The Doctor asked as he got to his feet.

"Yes. Tyler?" I said worriedly, scrambling to my feet and kneeling next to my son. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"I'm okay," Tyler confirmed, coughing a bit as I helped him to his feet and brushed him off. After giving a quick look over for any injuries, I glanced up to see what had run into us I blinked in surprise and confusion when I saw the bow of an ocean liner had broken through the TARDIS wall.

"What?" The Doctor exclaimed in utter confusion. "What?" He knelt next to a life preserver and turned it over. The word 'Titanic' was written on it. He glanced at me in confusion and we both looked back up at the ship currently embedded in the TARDIS. "What?"

* * *

 **Hope you guys liked it. Please review! Till next time!**


	45. Voyage of the Damned

**Hello readers! I'm so so sorry for taking so long. I kind of lost my motivation and then I got obsessed with Pirates of the Caribbean and started a fic for that. I hope I did ok. Just a warning, by beta reader hasn't gone through this yet, so I'm hoping it's still good.**

* * *

 **Previously**

" _Oh, Doctor?" Five's voice called. "Remember to put your shields up." Ten hit a button on the console. Suddenly, the Doctor, Tyler, and I were thrown to the floor as something crashed through the side of the TARDIS. I coughed as I inhaled some dust as I sat up._

" _Wonder, are you okay?" The Doctor asked as he got to his feet._

" _Yes. Tyler?" I said worriedly, scrambling to my feet and kneeling next to my son. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"_

" _I'm okay," Tyler confirmed, coughing a bit as I helped him to his feet and brushed him off. After giving a quick look over for any injuries, I glanced up to see what had run into us I blinked in surprise and confusion when I saw the bow of an ocean liner had broken through the TARDIS wall._

" _What?" The Doctor exclaimed in utter confusion. "What?" He knelt next to a life preserver and turned it over. The word 'Titanic' was written on it. He glanced at me in confusion and we both looked back up at the ship currently imbedded in the TARDIS. "What?"_

 **Present**

The Doctor scrambled to his feet and ran around the console, flipping various switches and buttons as he sent us a few minutes back in time. The ship hull back out of the TARDIS and the hole it created sealed shut. The Doctor landed the TARDIS on the ship and we walked out. I adjusted Tyler on my hip as I looked around. We appeared to be in a supply closet. The Doctor poked his head around the side of the TARDIS, patting the side as he made sure the hole had completely closed. We stepped out of the closet into a large, wood-panelled room decorated with potted plants and Christmas decorations. People dressed in early 20th century dress milled about as waiters pass hors d'oeuvres and champagne. A band on stage was playing a sedate version of _Jingle Bells_. We passed by two golden angels garbed in white. One jerked its head in our direction, the distinct sound of gears grinding as it did so. Tyler whimpered and held out his arms to his father. I passed Tyler to the Doctor who began rubbing his son's back soothingly as the toddler buried his face in his father's neck. I noticed a window and nodded towards it. We walked over and looked out.

"Riiiight," the Doctor drawled. Outside the window was space and just below the ship was the Earth. He shifted Tyler in his arms so the toddler could look out the window.

" **Attention all passengers. The Titanic is now in orbit above Sol 3, also known as Earth. Population: Human** ," a man announced over the PA. " **Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Christmas.** "

"You know, I'm feeling rather underdressed for a cruise," I commented, glancing down at my tshirt and jeans.

"Hmm, you're right," the Doctor agreed, glancing down at his own attire. "I think this calls for a trip to the wardrobe." He glanced at Tyler, chuckling as the toddler yawned widely and rubbed his eyes. "But first, we should put you to bed."

"But I'm not tired," Tyler protested, yawning again.

I smiled in amusement. "Come on, sweetheart." The Doctor and I walked back to the TARDIS. After we put Tyler to bed, we headed to the wardrobe. The Doctor picked out a early 1900s black dinner jacket, black bowtie, and black converse. I settled for a Edwardian style dress. It had a lavender underdress and a plum net overdress with silver beading, a lavender sash was tied around my waist, and sheer sleeves with tassels on the end. I slipped on my own pair of purple converse. I stepped out of the changing room and twirled so the Doctor could get a good look.

"You look beautiful," he told me, stepping forward and placing his hands on my hips. He drew me close and leaned down to capture my lips. I responded eagerly and wrapped my hands around his neck, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. We pulled apart after a few moments and the Doctor held out his arm to me. I smiled and took it and we walked back out to the ship's lounge. We stopped by a screen to watch the commercial play.

" **Max Capricorn Cruiseliners-the fastest, the farthest, the best** ," the bald man on the screen announced. " **And I should know because my name is Max.** " The man grinned and his gold tooth glinted.

"I wonder if it really does that," I mused, tilting my head to the side.

"Probably not," the Doctor said. "You only see that sort of thing on the telly." We continued our walk into reception. I looked around, admiring the elaborate Christmas decorations that adorned every room. On the stage, the band was performing _Winter Wonderland_ as couples danced on the dance floor.

"Merry Christmas, sir, ma'am," a steward said politely as we passed.

"Merry Christmas," the Doctor replied as I smiled and gave a polite nod. We passed a man who was talking into his mobile, looking rather annoyed.

"It's not a holiday for me, not while I've still got my vone. Now do as I say and sell," the man ordered whoever he was talking to. I glanced at the Doctor who merely shrugged. He spotted another robotic angel and quickly dragged me over.

"Evening," he greeted. "Passenger 57 and 58. Terrible memory. Remind me. Uh, you would be…" The robotic angel binged before answering.

" **Information: Heavenly Host supplying tourist information,** " the Host answered.

The Doctor nodded. "Good, so, um... tell me, cos I'm an idiot, where are we from?"

The Host binged again. " **Information: The Titanic is en route from the planet Sto in the Cassavalian Belt. The purpose of the cruise is to experience primitive cultures.** "

"Titanic. Um... who... thought of the name?" The Doctor asked curiously.

" **Information: it was chosen as the most famous vessel of the planet Earth.** "

I cocked an eyebrow. "Did they tell you why it was famous?" I inquired.

" **Information: all designations are chosen by Mr Max Capricorn, president of Max- Max- Max…** " The Host twitched with each "Max".

"Ooh, bit of a glitch," the Doctor said, reaching into his pocket to pull out his sonic screwdriver. However, three stewards rushed over before he could.

"Sir, ma'am we can handle this," the Chief Steward assured us. He waved his hand and two more stewards rushed over to help. "Software problem, that's all. Leave it with us, sir. Merry Christmas." He pressed a button on the back of the Host's neck, causing it to go rigid and topple to one side where one of the stewards caught it. The others grabbed hold and hauled it off. The Doctor and I watched as the stewards hurried off with the Host.

"What was that all about?" I wondered.

"I don't know," the Doctor said. He glanced to the stage as the band began playing _Silent Night_. He held his hand out to me. "Care for a dance?"

I smiled flirtatiously. "I thought you would never ask." The Doctor grinned back as I took his hand. We hurried to the dance floor. As the Doctor and I slow danced, I leaned my head against his chest, smiling as I heard the familiar four beats of his twin hearts. He slid his right arm tighter around my waist, drawing me closer to him. I closed my eyes, simply enjoying our closeness. It had been far too long since we've been able to enjoy a moment like this. Our interactions aboard the Valiant were always closely monitored and before that, I had to endure 18 months without my bonded by my side. The only thing that had kept me sane was Tyler. I opened my eyes as the song ended and looked up at the Doctor. He gazed down at me softly and I smiled, standing on my toes to press a soft kiss to his lips. He suddenly swung me down in a dip and I let out a quiet squeak of surprise against his lips. He chuckled and righted me again. "Always the charmer," I giggled, smiling fondly at him. Are moment was broken by the sound of breaking glass. We turned and I spotted the annoyed man from earlier glaring at a young waitress.

"For Tov's sake, look where you're going! This jacket's a genuine Earth antique," the man informed the waitress angrily.

"I'm sorry, sir," the waitress apologized, kneeling down to pick up the shards of glass.

"You'll be sorry when it comes off your wages, sweetheart," the man snapped. "Staffed by idiots. No wonder Max Capricorn is going down the drain." He stormed off.

"Oi!" I shouted, stalking over to the man. "You have no right to yell at her like that!"

"She nearly dumped champagne on my antique coat!" The man snapped.

"I don't care! That does not give you the right to treat her like garbage," I shot back, glowering at the man. "Now, bug off before I dump an entire bottle of red wine over your _genuine Earth antique_." The man glared at me, but stormed off without another word. I let out a huff. "The nerve of some people."

"Thank you, ma'am, but you didn't need to do that," the waitress told me as the Doctor and I knelt to help her pick up the glass shards.

"Well, someone needed to put that jerk in his place," I replied. "At least I can do that without fear of being fired. I'm Wonder, but the way, and this handsome gentleman is my husband, the Doctor."

"Astrid, sir. Astrid Peth," the waitress said.

"Nice to meet you, Astrid Peth. Merry Christmas," the Doctor told her with a smile.

"Merry Christmas, sir," Astrid replied, looking pleasantly surprised.

"Just Doctor, not sir," the Doctor corrected.

"You both enjoying the cruise?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah," I replied with a shrug. "Little bit extravagant for my taste, but it's nice all the same. Been awhile since it's been just us."

"Just you two then?" Astrid asked, getting to her feet with her tray now full of broken glass.

"Well, we would have brought our son, but he's a bit young to enjoy something like this," the Doctor said. "What about you? Long way from home, Planet Sto."

Astrid shrugged. "Doesn't feel that different. I spent three years working at the spaceport diner, travelled all the way here... and I'm still waiting on tables." She walked off, but the Doctor and I followed.

"No shore leave?" I asked.

"We're not allowed. They can't afford the insurance," Astrid replied as she cleared a table by one of the windows. "I just wanted to try it, just once. Never stood on another world. I used to watch the ships heading off to the stars and I always dreamt of…" She paused and hung her head. "It sounds daft."

"You dreamt of another sky," the Doctor said, giving her a knowing look. "New sun, new air, new life. A whole universe teeming with life. Why stand still when there're all that life out there?"

"... yeah," Astrid breathed, a bit dazzled. She cleared her throat. "So... you travel a lot?"

The Doctor nodded. "All the time. Just for fun."

"Well, that's the plan anyway," I added. "Never quite works out that way. We have an uncanny talent for finding trouble."

"Must be rich, though," Astrid said, sounding a bit jealous.

"Haven't got a penny. Stowaways," the Doctor whispered.

Astrid stared as us in shock. "Kidding."

"Seriously."

"No!"

The Doctor grinned. "Oh, yeah."

"How did you get on board?" Astrid asked with a laugh.

"Accident," the Doctor answered. "We've got this, sort of, ship thing. I was just rebuilding her. Left the defences down, bumped into the Titanic. Here we are. Bit of a party, I thought 'Why not?' Besides, the wife needed a bit of time off."

"I should report you," Astrid threatened.

"Go on then," the Doctor challenged with a smirk, knowing full well she wouldn't.

Astrid studied us for a moment. "I'll get you a drink...on the house." She walked off.

I smiled. "I like her." I heard a bunch of laughing and turned, taking notice of glamorously dress people laughing and pointing at a heavyset couple dressed in purple country-western outfits at the next table. I nudged the Doctor and nodded in the direction of the couple.

"Just ignore 'em," the man said to his wife as the Doctor and I sat down at their table.

"Something's tickled them," the Doctor noted.

"They told us it was fancy dress. Very funny, I'm sure," the woman grumbled.

"They're just pickin' on us because we haven't paid. We won our tickets in a competition," the man announced proudly.

"I had to name the five husbands of Joofie Crystalle in 'By the Light of the Asteroid'," the woman explained. "Did you ever watch?"

"Is that the one with the twins?" The Doctor asked, brows furrowed in thought.

The woman grinned. "That's it. Oh, it's marvelous."

"Probably not good enough for that lot," the man grumbled, gesturing to the laughing group behind us. "They think we should be in steerage."

"Hmm, well we can't have that, can we?" I asked, shooting the Doctor a mischievous look. He smirked and discretely pulled his sonic from his pocket and aimed it at the table behind us. The champagne bottle on the table popped its cork, spraying the liquid all over those around the table.

"Did... Did you do that?" The woman asked, smiling.

The Doctor shrugged nonchalantly as he slipped his sonic back into his pocket. "Maybe."

The woman giggled in delight. "We like you."

"We do," the man agreed. He held out his hand to the Doctor. "I'm Morvin van Hoff. This is my good woman, Foon."

The Doctor shook Morvin's than Foon's hand. "Foon. Hello, I'm the Doctor and this is my wife, Wonder."

"Pleasure to meet you," I smiled as I shook each of their hands.

"Ooh, I'm gonna need a Doctor by the time I'm finished with this buffet," Foon said, nodding to the mountain of food on the table. "Have a buffalo wing. They must be enormous, these buffalo, so many wings." I chuckled and took a wing.

" **Attention please. Shore leave tickets Red 6-7 now activated. Red 6-7,** " the PA system announced.

"Red 6-7. That's us," Foon said, pulling out a red ticket and getting to her feet. "Are you Red 6-7?"

"Why not?" I answered.

"Come on," Morvin urged, putting his arm around Foon. "We're going to Earth." The Doctor and I followed Morvin and Foon.

"Red 6-7. Red 6-7. This way, fast as you can," an older man wearing a green tweed suit called as he held up a sign.

Astrid walked over to us. "I got you that drink," she held, indicating the tray with two glasses on in.

"And we got you a treat. Come on," the Doctor said. He took the tray from her and set it on a nearby table.

"Red 6-7 departing shortly," the elderly man called again.

"Red 6-7 plus one," the Doctor said, flashing the man his psychic paper.

The man nodded. "Uh, quickly, sir, ma'am and please take three teleport bracelets if you would."

"I'll get the sack," Astrid whispered to us nervously.

"Brand new sky," the Doctor tempted. Astrid hesitated for only a moment before smiling and taking the bracelet he offered.

"To repeat, I am Mr Copper, the ship's historian, and I shall be taking you to old London town in the country of U.K. ruled over by good King Wenceslas," the elderly man announced. I frowned. Where did he get that information? "Now human beings worshipped the great god Santa, a creature with fearsome claws, and his wife Mary." I cocked a brow and glanced at the Doctor who was wearing a similar confused expression. "And every Christmas Eve the people of U.K. go to war with the country of Turkey. They then eat the Turkey people for Christmas dinner... like savages." I blinked, shocked.

The Doctor tentatively raised his hand. "Excuse me, sorry, sorry, but, um... where did you get all this from?" He asked Mr. Copper.

"Well, I have a first class degree in Earthonomics," Mr. Copper answered. The Doctor and I shared a glance. "Now stand by…"

"And me! And me!" A high-pitched voice called. "Red 6-7!" A small, red-skinned alien with short spikes along his head pushed through the crowd, waving his ticket.

"Well, take a bracelet, sir," Mr. Copper told him.

"Uh, but, um, hold on, hold on. What was your name?" The Doctor asked the small alien.

"Bannakaffalatta," the red alien replied.

The Doctor blinked. "Ok, Bannakaffalatta. But it's Christmas Eve down there. Late-night shopping, tons of people. He's like a walking conker," he said. Bannakaffalatta snapped his head to the Time Lord as I elbowed my husband. I knew what he said was true, but he could have said it a little more delicately. "No offence, but you'll cause a riot 'cause the streets are going to be packed with shoppers and parties-" The Doctor didn't get to finish his sentence as we all disappeared in a flash of blue light. A moment later, we arrived on an empty street on earth. The Doctor and I glanced around and frowned. "Oh."

"Now, spending money. I have a credit card in Earth currency if you want to buy trinkets or, uh, stockings or the local delicacy, which is known as "beef" but don't stray too far, it could be dangerous. Any day now they start boxing," Mr. Copper warned. I tuned him out, glancing around the unusually empty street.

"Something's wrong," I said, voicing my concerns. "There should be tons of people milling about."

"But it's beautiful," Astrid protested, looking around in awe.

The Doctor looked to her. "Really? Do you think so? It's just a street. The pyramids are beautiful."

"New Zealand is amazing," I added. I turned to the Doctor. "We should go back sometime."

"But it's a different planet. I'm standing on a different planet," Astrid said happily. She jumped a couple times, testing the ground behind her feet. "Th- there's concrete... and shops, alien shops, real alien shops! Look, no stars in the sky. And it smells. It stinks!" She gasped in delight. "This is amazing! Thank you!" She threw her arms around the Doctor than around me.

The Doctor smiled at her. "Yeah? Come on then, let's have a look." He took my hand and led Astrid and I over to a newspaper booth manned by an old man, bundled in winter clothes. "Hello there! Sorry, uh, obvious question, but where's everybody gone?" He asked the old man.

"Oh-ho, scared!" The old man replied with a laughed.

I furrowed my brows. "Scared? Of what?"

"Where have you been living? London at Christmas? Not safe, is it?" The old man said.

"Why?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, it's them, up above," the old man said, gesturing to the sky. "Look, Christmas before last we had that big bloody spaceship, everyone standing on a roof." He pointed to the tv he had in his booth that was playing a clip from the Christmas the Sycorax paid us a visit. "And then last year, that Christmas Star electrocuting all over the place, draining the Thames."

"This place is amazing," Astrid said.

"And this year, Lord knows what," the man continued. "So everybody's scarpered, gone to the country. All except me... and Her Majesty." He stood proudly and looked at the tv.

" **Her Majesty the Queen has confirmed that she will be staying in Buckingham Palace throughout the festive season to show the people of London, and the world, that there's nothing to fear** ," the tv reporter announced.

"God bless her!" The man said, saluting the screen. "We stand vigil."

"Well, between you and me, I think her Majesty's got it right," the Doctor assured the man. "Far as I know, this year, nothing to worry about." He had just finished his sentence when we disappeared in a flash of blue light. "I was in mid-sentence," he complained in annoyance as we appeared back on the Titanic.

"Yes, I'm sorry about that. A bit of a problem," Mr. Copper apologized. " If I could have your bracelets…"

The chief steward walked over to our group as we all passed our bracelets forward. "Apologies, ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta, we seem to have suffered a slight power fluctuation," he informed us. I frowned in curiosity. I glanced at the Doctor to see that he had a similar look on his face. "If you'd like to return to the festivities. And on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners, free drinks will be provided. The ticket holders depart." Murmurs of agreement rippled through our group.

"That was the best, the best!" Astrid exclaimed happily, grinning widely. She trotted off to return to her duties, a new spring in her step.

"What sort of power fluctuation?" The Doctor asked the chief steward.

"Nothing that you need to concern yourself with, sir," the chief steward dismissed with a pleasant smile. "The issue will be handled. Now, if you excuse me, I have duties to attend to."

I narrowed my eyes at the chief steward's back as he walked away. "Something tells me that this 'slight power fluctuation' is worse than he's making it sound," I mused.

"I think you're right," my bonded agreed. "We need to get a look at the scanners." He took my hand and led me through the crowd. We stopped in the reception, glancing around in search of a suitable means to view the ship's scanners. Our gazes passed over Astrid as she served drinks to the other passengers. She smiled at us and we returned her smile. Continuing our search, I spotted a framed screen showing a video of Max Capricorn. I nudged the Doctor and indicated the screen. He led me to the screen, slipping on his glasses, taking out his sonic, and using ot on the frame. He opened the frame, ignoring the screen as it continued to loop through Max Capricorn's speech. He changed a few settings in the screen's mechanics until it showed the Titanic and her immediate surroundings.

"The shields are offline," I noticed, frowning and pointing to a particular part on the screen.

"That's odd," the Doctor muttered. He mimicked my frown and peered out the window beside us. His eyes widened at whatever he saw.

"What is it?" I asked apprehensively.

"We've got company." I switched places with him and peered out the window. Just like his had, my eyes widened as I spotted the meteors headed straight for the Titanic.

"Is that the bridge? I need to talk to the captain," the Doctor demanded over the comms. "You've got a meteoroid storm coming in West 0 by North 2."

" **Who is this?** " A man, who I assumed must have been the captain demanded.

"Never mind that," the Doctor dismissed hurriedly. "Your shields are down. Check your scanners, Captain. You've got meteoroids coming in and now shielding!"

" **You have no authorization. You will clear the comms at once,** " the captain ordered.

"Yeah? Just look starboard!" The Doctor snapped. Before the Doctor could say anything else, three stewards came over.

"Come with me, sir, ma'am," the chief stewards told us in a tone that, while pleasant, clearly conveyed he expected us to cooperate. However, he didn't give us a chance to contemplate whether or not we would acquiesce his request as he grabbed one of the Doctor's arms, another steward grabbed his other arm, and the third grabbed me.

"You've got a rock storm heading for this ship and the shields are down!" The Doctor argued as we were dragged through reception. As we passed by the stage, I got an idea. Since I only had one steward holding me, I was able to pull away and bolt to the stage, shoving aside the singer as I scrambled to get to the microphone.

"Everyone, listen to me!" I shouted in a rushed voice. "This is an emergency! Get to the lifeb-" My sentence was cut off as a Host clamped its hand over my mouth. I struggled against the Host's hold as one of the stewards grabbed hold of me again.

"Look out the windows!" The Doctor urged to a group of onlooking passengers as we were forcibly hauled off. "If you don't believe me, check the shields yourself!" He pleaded with the stewards.

"Please, must listen to us! Everyone of this ship is in danger!" I warned desperately.

"Sir, I can vouch for them!" Astrid said as she ran alongside us.

"Look, Steward, they've just had a bit too much to drink," Morvin added hopefully as he and Foon joined us.

"Sir, something seems to have gone wrong. All the teleports are down," Mr. Copper said as our little group passed by.

"Not now!" The chief steward snapped, clearly getting agitated.

"The shields are down, we are going to get hit," the Doctor tried again as we were dragged through the maintenance corridor. Unfortunately, his warning went unheard as everyone in our group was talking at once.

"Oi! Steward!" A voice shouted. Everyone stopped and turned to see the grumpy man with the 'genuine antique' coat. "I'm telling you the shields are down!"

"Listen to him! Listen to him!" The Doctor urged pleadingly. The chief steward finally seemed to pause and think and I smiled hopefully. That hope was short lived, however, as the meteoroids struck the side of the ship, throwing everyone to the floor. The Doctor threw himself overtop of me as we fell, doing his best to shield me from the falling debris. Things seemed to settle and the Doctor slowly got to his feet, shushing everyone as he listened intently.

"It's stopping," the Doctor whispered. The Titanic creaked and groaned as everything resettled. "You alright?" He asked me, reaching a hand out to me to help me up and scanning me over for any injuries. I nodded and smiled gratefully. My smile quickly turned into a grimace as I put weight on my right leg. "What is it? What's wrong?" He asked, his chocolate brown eyes shining in concern.

"My leg," I answered, shifting my weight to my left leg with another wince. He quickly knelt down to check the damage and I had to put my hand on his shoulder to keep my balance. There was a tear in my dress that ran about halfway up my lower leg. The Doctor shifted aside the torn fabric to reveal a cut a few inches in length. Blood trickled down my leg as he prodded the area around the cut, trying to determine how bad it was. "Ow!" I complained, moving my leg away slightly.

"Sorry," the Doctor apologized, getting to his feet. "It's just a small cut. You'll be fine until we can get back to the TARDIS." I nodded and he gently kissed my forehead. "Astrid, you okay?" He asked, as he turned to help the blonde to her feet.

"I think so," Astrid replied.

"Bad name for a ship," the Doctor commented. "Either that or this suit is really unlucky."

"Probably a mixture of both," I said. The Doctor then notice one of the stewards lying motionless on the floor and knelt next to him, placing his fingers on the man's neck to search for a pulse. After a moment, he looked back at me and shook his head, indicating the man was dead.

"Ev-everyone... Ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta, I must apologize on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners. We seem to have had a small collision," the chief steward announced in an attempt to calm everyone down. I looked around at the carnage and noticed another screen a few feet away. I limped over to check it out and the Doctor followed behind.

"Small?" Morvin asked indignantly.

"You know how much I paid for my ticket?" The grumpy man demanded angrily.

"If I could have silence, ladies, gentlemen…" The chief steward said, attempting to things under control as everyone started talking at once. "Quiet!" He shouted and they quited. "Thank you. I-I'm sure Max Capricorn Cruiseliners will be able to reimburse you for any inconvenience. But first I would point out that we are very much alive."

"Are you alright?" I heard Astrid ask and turned to see Mr. Copper dabbing at a cut on his head. The Doctor and I walked over to join the others. I bent over slightly, examining the cut.

"She is, after all, a fine, sturdy ship. If you could all stay here while I ascertain the exact nature of the... the situation," the chief steward. I blinked as what the steward said finally registered and snapped my head up to see the steward about to open a hatch.

"Don't open it!" The Doctor yelled, but it was too late. The hatch opened and the chief steward was immediately sucked out into space. Everyone quickly grabbed onto any bit of piping they could get ahold of. We all hung on for dear life, afraid we would meet the same fate as the steward. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Doctor move back over to the comms and soniced them. I dropped back to the floor with a thud as the shielding was replaced.

" **Oxygen shield stabilized** ," the computer announced.

"Everyone alright?" The Doctor called. "Wonder?"

"Fine," I replied.

"Astrid?"

"Yeah," Astrid said, panting.

"Foon? Morvin? Mr Copper? Bannakaffalatta?"

"Yes," Bannakaffalatta answered.

"You, what was your name?" The Doctor asked the grumpy man.

"Ah, Rickston Slade," the man said.

"You all right?"

"No thanks to that idiot," Rickston muttered in an annoyed tone as he untied his bowtie.

"The steward just died, show a little bit of respect," I snapped.

"Then he's a dead idiot," Rickston shot back. I glared at him and took a step towards him, but the Doctor's gentle hand on my shoulder stopped me.

"All right, calm down," The Doctor told me softly. "Just stay still, all of you. Hold on." He walked over to the hatch opening and I followed.

"What happened? How come the shields were down?" Astrid asked, joining us.

"I don't think it was an accident," I told her quietly. I stared out of the hole in the ship's hull, watching sadly as bodies floated amongst the debris.

"How many dead?"

"We're alive, just focus on that," the Doctor told her. "I will get you out of here, Astrid. I promise. Look at me. I promise." Astrid nodded shakily. "Good. Now if we can get to Reception, we've got a spaceship tucked away. We can all get on board-" I nudged him gently in the ribs and pointed to a blue police box floating amongst the debris. "Oh."

"What is it? What's wrong?" Astrid asked worriedly.

"That's our spaceship over there," the Doctor sighed.

Astrid's gaze scanned the debris. "Where?"

"The little blue box," I told her, pointing to where the TARDIS was floating.

"That's a spaceship?" Astrid asked in confusion.

"Oi, don't knock it," the Doctor told her, sounding a bit offended.

"It's a bit small."

"Bit distant," I corrected.

"Trouble is, once it's set adrift, it's programmed to lock onto the nearest centre of gravity and that would be... the Earth," the Doctor added. As we watched, the TARDIS floated further away, picking up speed as I was caught in Earth's gravitational pull. I felt a flash of panic as I suddenly remembered that Tyler was in the TARDIS. The Doctor noticed my distress and wrapped a comforting arm around my waist, drawing me close to him. I looked up at him, my eyes filling with tears as I thought of how scared Tyler would be and that I would be unable to comfort him. The Doctor brought one hand to gently cup my cheek. "Tyler will be fine," he assured me. "The TARDIS will look after him."

I closed my eyes and sighed helplessly. "I know, but that doesn't mean I won't still worry about him."

The Doctor smiled softly. "You're his mum, it's your job to worry about him." I didn't respond as I stared unseeingly at his chest. He placed a finger under my chin, forcing me to look at him and I could see the worry in his eyes. As much as her tried to hide it, he was as worried about our son as I was. "I know it's hard, but I need you to focus on our current situation. I'm going to need your help if we want to get back to our son safely, okay?" I nodded. "Good." He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. "Now, we need to see if we can find out the status of the engines." He ran back over to the comms. "Deck 22 to the bridge. Deck 22 to the bridge. Is there anyone there?"

" **This is the bridge** ," a voice answered after a tense moment.

"Oh hello, sailor," the Doctor answered cheerfully. "Good to hear you. What's the situation up there?"

" **We've got air. The oxygen field is holding. But the captain…** " The man paused, his voice cracking. " **He's dead. He did it. I watched while he took down the shields. There was nothing I could do. I tried. I did try.** "

"All right. Just stay calm," I told him gently. "Tell me your name. What's your name?"

" **Midshipman Frame.** "

The Doctor grinned. "Nice to meet you, sir. What's the state of the engines?"

" **They're um...Hold on,** " the man said. The man groaned in pain.

"Have you been injured?" The Doctor asked in concern.

" **I'm all right,** " Frame dismissed, though he sounded far from alright. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do for him right now. " **Oh my vot. They're cycling down.** "

The Doctor rubbed an eye tiredly. "That's a nuclear storm drive, yes?"

" **Yeah.** "

"The moment they're gone, we lose orbit."

" **The planet** ," Frame gasped in realization.

"Oh yes. If we hit the planet, the nuclear storm explodes and wipes out life on Earth. Midshipman, I need you to fire up the engine containment field and feed it back into the core," the Doctor told him.

" **This is never going to work.** "

"Trust me, it'll keep the engines going until I can get to the bridge," the Doctor assured him. He switched off the comms and we walked back to the others.

"We're going to die!" Foon cried.

"Are you saying someone's done this on purpose?" Mr. Copped asked.

"We're just a cruise ship!" Astrid added.

"Okay, okay. Tch, tch. First things first," the Doctor said, holding up his hands to get everyone to listen. "One: we're going to climb through this ship. B…"

"Two," I corrected.

"Two: we're going to reach the bridge. Three or C: we're going to save the Titanic. And, coming in a very low Four or D or that little 'iv' in brackets they use in footnotes... why," the Doctor finished. "Right then, follow me." He started walking off.

"Hang on a minute. Who put you in charge and who the heck are you anyway?" Rickston demanded.

The Doctor turned back around, a very serious look on his face. "I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I'm 903 years old and I'm the man who's gonna save your lives and all six billion of the people on the planet below. You got a problem with that?"

Rickston looked to me. "And her?"

I glared at him. "I'm his wife. I'm 890 years old and the mother to his child who just so happens to be stuck on Earth in our ship. Now, I would like very much to return to my son as soon as possible, so unless you have any _brilliant_ ideas, I would suggest you keep your mouth shut. Do I make myself clear?"

Rickston swallowed thickly under my intense gaze. "Yes."

The Doctor nodded, satisfied. "In that case, allons-y!" He took my hand and walked off, leaving the group behind us to follow. We walked until we came to a door, which he slowly pushed open. On the other side was a stairwell littered with debris and sparking cables. "Careful. Follow me." He let go of my hand and walked ahead, clearing the way.

"Rather ironic when this is very much in the spirit of Christmas. It's a festival of violence," Mr. Copper commented. "They say that human beings only survive depending on whether they've been good or bad. It's barbaric."

"Actually, that's not true. Christmas is a time of-of peace and thanksgiving and…" The Doctor paused in his correction and sighed. "What am I on about? Christmas is always like this."

"Well, our Christmases are anyway," I added. The Doctor shifted aside a large chunk of metal, revealing a broken Host.

"We've got a Host," he said happily. "Strength of ten. If we can mend it, we can use it to fix the rubble."

"We can do robotics, both of us," Morvin spoke up, gesturing to himself and Foon.

"We worked on the milk market back on Sto. It's all robot staff," Foon added.

The Doctor nodded. "See if you can get it working. Let's have a look." The rest of us continued up the stairs, but stopped when we noticed our path blocked by wreckage.

"It's blocked," Astrid said.

"Well, I suppose that leaves us with only one thing to do," I decided.

"We shift it," Astrid said determinedly.

The Doctor smiled. "That's the attitude. Rickston, Mr Copper, and you, Bannakaffalatta... look, can I just call you Banna? It's gonna save a lot of time," he asked the small alien.

"No! Bannakaffalatta!" Bannakaffalatta stated firmly.

The Doctor sighed in slight defeat. "All right then, Bannakaffalatta, there's a gap in the middle. See if you can get through."

Bannakaffalatta nodded. "Easy. Good." The small alien squeezed through the opening. I flinched as he ship lurched, sending loose debris falling around us.

"This whole thing could come crashing down any minute!" Rickston said, beginning to get impatient.

I rolled my eyes. "I guess you didn't get our message, did you, Rickston?" I asked irritably.

"No. What message?" Rickston asked in confusion.

"Shut up!" I snapped. Rickston looked a little taken aback, but thankfully stayed quiet.

"Bannakaffalatta made it," Bannakaffalatta announced from the other side of the wreckage.

"I'm small enough, I can get through," Astrid said, making her way through the hole.

"Careful," the Doctor warned.

"I'm fine," Astrid assured him.

"Thing is, how are Mr and Mrs Fatso gonna get through this gap?" Rickston demanded.

The Doctor shot him a glare. "We make the gap bigger. So start."

"I'm going to slip through and help Bannakaffalatta and Astrid clear the other side," I told the Doctor.

"Be careful," he said.

I smiled. "Aren't I always?" I carefully made my way through the hole. I smiled gratefully as Astrid grabbed my hand and helped my the rest of the way. As I made it to the other side, I heard Morvin and Foon laughing about something.

"What happened? Did they find a donut?" Rickston asked sarcastically.

"Shut it, Rickston!" I snapped, poking my head back through the hole. "Astrid and I are going to start clearing this side. Let us know if anything starts moving," I told the Doctor.

"Bannakaffalatta, what's wrong?" I heard Astrid ask as I shifted a large chunk of metal.

"Is he alright?" I asked Astrid in concern, turning my head and noticing Bannakaffalatta lying a few feet away.

"I'll check on him," Astrid told me and I nodded and returned to my task. I tuned out their conversation and focused on carefully shifting pipes and other debris. Astrid came back over a few minutes later, smiling brightly.

"I take from your expression that he's okay," I said. She nodded.

"What's going on up there?!" The Doctor asked, poking his head into view.

"I think Bannakaffalatta and I just got engaged," Astrid told him. My eyes widened slightly before I smiled and chuckled.

"Well, congratulations," I told her. She smiled gratefully and began to help me.

"It's working!" I heard Morvin exclaim happily.

"Turn it off!" I heard the Doctor shout.

"I can't, Doctor!" Foon yelled, panicking.

"Go!"

"Doctor!" I shouted, worried that I couldn't see what was going on. I saw Rickston back into view. "Rickston, was going on?" Unfortunately, the man was too terrified to answer.

"Lock! Double deadlock! Okay, go upstairs!"

"Run, darling, run!" Foon urged her husband.

" **Information: kill, kill, kill…** " I heard, causing my hearts to skip a beat.

"Foon! Foon!" Morvin yelled.

"Rickston! Get them through!" The Doctor ordered.

"No chance!" Rickston replied, turning and squeezing through the hole.

"Rickston!" Mr. Copper yelled.

"I'll never get through there," Foon protested.

"Yes, you can," Mr. Copper assured her. "Let me go first."

"Come on, Mr. Copper," I urged as the older man squeezed his way through. "Doctor, what's going on?"

"It's the Host!" The Doctor answered. "They've gone berserk! Are you safe up there?"

"Yes! Your turn, Foon," I told the woman. She started to make her way through, but stopped part way up.

"No, I'm stuck!" Foon panicked. Astrid and I each grabbed a hand and tried pulling her.

"Come on, you can do it!" Astrid urged. Mr. Copper grabbed a metal pole jutting out from under a heavy, metal beam to try and widen the space.

"It's going to collapse!" Mr. Copper warned. With a final grunt, Astrid and I pulled Foon through. The debris shifted, causing Mr. Copper to groan and adjust his grip. "Rickston, vot damn it, help me!"

"No... way," Rickston snapped. I glared at the man, but unfortunately there wasn't any time to argue.

I rushed over to Mr. Copper and took hold of the pole. "I've got it," I assured him. He nodded and back away, panting.

"Morvin, get through!" The Doctor said. Morvin obliged and made his way through, but got stuck just like his wife. Astrid tugged on Morvin's arm, but he seemed more firmly stuck than Foon.

" **Kill. Kill. Kill** ," the Host continued to repeat.

"Doctor, he's stuck!" Astrid announced worriedly.

"Mr Van Hoff, I know we've only just met but you'll have to excuse me," the Doctor apologized. Morvin grunted as he was finally pushed through.

"That's it. We've got you. Doctor, come on, get through," Astrid said.

The Doctor started making his way through, but stopped and turned to the Host that was still following. "Information override! You will tell me the point of origin of your command structure!" The debris shifted again.

"Doctor, hurry up!" I groaned, wincing as I shifted my bad leg to get a better angle. "I can't hold it much longer!"

" **Information: Deck 31** ," the Host answered.

"Thank you," the Doctor said and scrambled through the hole. "Let go!" I happily obliged. I dropped the pole and the beam crashed onto the Host's head. I shot my husband a glare and slapped his arm, causing him to yelp.

"Next time, hurry up when I tell you to," I panted.

"Sorry," he apologized, rubbing his arm. I closed my eyes and sighed, then reached up, grabbed his tie, and tugged him down for a kiss. I pulled back and smirked as the Doctor blinked at me.

"Come on, let's keep moving," I said, patting his chest and limping off.

We continued through the corridors, stepping over and around any debris we found. We stepped through a doorway and found ourselves in an open room.

"Morvin, look, food," Foon breathed happily, staring at a table full of food.

Rickston rolled his eyes. "Oh great. Someone's happy," he bit out sarcastically.

"Don't have any then," Morvin shot back.

"Why don't you go and check on the Midshipman and I'll get us some food," I told the Doctor. He nodded and headed off to the comms. I walked over to the trolley of food and grabbed a couple plates and went back over to the Doctor just as he finished talking with Midshipman. "Everything alright?" I asked, passing him his plate of food.

"Mr. Frame had to use a maximum deadlock to keep the Host from getting in," he sighed. I sat down next to him, stretching out my bad leg with a slight wince.

"Well, that's not good," I muttered.

"No, it's not," the Doctor agreed. "There also appears to be something strange going about Deck 31."

"What about it?"

"It doesn't register on the scanner," he told me. "No heat, no light, nothing."

I frowned in thought. "Hmm, that's odd." We both looked up as Astrid came and sat next to us, holding her own plate of food.

"So, you look good for 903 and 890," Astrid commented.

"You should see us in the mornings," the Doctor said through a mouthful of food.

"Yeah," I giggled. "His hair sticks up all over the place. It's rather adorable to be honest." Astrid chuckled.

"You said you had a son?" She asked.

My smile faded. "Yeah. He's three years old now." I closed my eyes for a moment and sighed. "We left him in our ship because he was tired. Poor thing is probably scared half to death."

The Doctor wrapped his arm around my waist and drew me into his side. "He'll be fine," he assured me, though I knew he was just as worried as I was. "The TARDIS will look after him. He probably hasn't even woken up yet." I nodded and leaned my head on his shoulder. We were quiet for a few moments and Mr. Copper wandered over.

"Doctor, it must be well past midnight, Earth time. Christmas Day," Mr. Copper said.

The Doctor smiled. "So it is. Merry Christmas."

"This Christmas thing, what's it all about?" Astrid asked curiously.

"Long story. I should know, I was there," the Doctor said. "I got the last room."

I glanced at my husband. "Oh, so that was your fault. Why am I not surprised?" He smiled and shrugged sheepishly.

"But if the planet's waking up, can't we signal them? They can send up a rocket or something," Mr. Copper said hopefully.

"They don't have spaceships," the Doctor said, frowning a bit a the old man.

"No, I read about it," Mr. Copped insisted. "They have shuffles, space shuffles."

"Mr. Copper, where exactly did you get your degree in Earthonomics from?" I asked.

Mr. Copper looked at us apprehensively. "Honestly?"

"Just between us," I assured, giving the old man a gentle smile.

Mr. Copper sighed. "Mrs Golightly's Happy Travelling University and Dry Cleaners." The old man sat down next to us, pulling out a hankie and mopping his brow.

"You... you lied to the company... to get the job?" Astrid asked in shock.

"I... I wasted my life on Sto. I was a travelling salesman, always on the road and I reached retirement with nothing to show for it. Not even a home," Mr. Copper replied sadly. "And Earth sounded so exotic."

The Doctor and I smiled fondly. "Hm, I suppose it is, yeah," the Doctor agreed.

"How come you know it so well?" Astrid asked him.

"I was sort of... a few years ago, was sorta made... well, sort of homeless, and, um there was the Earth," the Doctor answered.

"Thing is, if we survive this, there will be police and all sorts of investigations," Mr. Copper pointed out. "Now the minimum penalty for space-age fraud is ten years in jail. I'm an old man. Well, I won't survive ten years." Before he could continue, something started banging on the door. The Doctor dropped his food and rushed to the door.

"A Host!" The Doctor shouted. "Move! Come on!" We all dashed to the other side of the room, the Doctor using his sonic screwdriver to open the door. He opened the door, revealing a huge space running the whole length of the ship. The only way across was a fallen metal beam stretching across the engines.

"Is that the only way across?" Rickston demanded.

"Just be glad we actually _have_ a way across," I replied.

"The engines are open," Astrid pointed out.

"Nuclear storm drive," the Doctor said. "Soon as it stops, the Titanic falls."

"But that thing, it'll never take our weight," Foon said worriedly.

"You're going last, mate," Rickston snapped

"It's nitrofine metal. It's stronger than it looks," the Doctor assured us.

"All the same, Rickston's right," Morvin said, stepping forward. "Me and Foon should-" Suddenly, Morvin stepped on a weak piece of metal near the edge of our platform. The railing gave way and Morvin fell over the edge.

"Morvin!" Foon screamed as she watched her husband fall to his death. My hand shot to my mouth as I stared in horror.

"I told you! I told you!" Rickston shouted.

"Just shut up! Shut up!" Mr. Copper snapped angrily.

"Bring him back! Can't you bring him back? Bring him back, Doctor!" Foon shouted hysterically at the Doctor.

"I'm sorry, I can't," the Doctor apologized, gazing at the distraught woman helplessly.

"You promised me!"

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Doctor, I rather think those things have got our scent," Mr. Copper announced nervously. I rushed over to the door and looked through the window to see a group of Hosts heading our way.

"I'm not waiting," Rickston declared. He began making his way across the bridge.

"Careful! Take it slowly!" The Doctor warned. The ship trembled and rocked, very nearly knocking Rickston off the beam.

"Vot help me," Rickston gasped.

"You're okay. One step at a time. Come on, you can do it," the Doctor urged.

" **Kill. Kill. Kill** ," I heard the Host outside say.

"Doctor!" I called.

"They're getting nearer!" Mr. Copper warned.

"Seal us in," the Doctor muttered. He rushed over and used the sonic on the door.

"Leaving us trapped, wouldn't you say?" Mr. Copper said nervously.

"Not trapped, just inconveniently circumstanced," I replied.

"Oh."

"I'm okay!" Rickston called back as he reached the halfway point.

"Maybe he's all right," Foon said hopefully. "Maybe... Maybe there's a gravity curve down there or something. I don't know. Maybe he's unconscious."

"I'm sorry, Foon. He's gone," Astrid said sadly. She wrapped her arms around Foon as she began to sob.

"What am I going to do without him?" Foon cried.

"Yes! Oh yes! Who's good?!" Rickston shouted excitedly as he finally reached the other side.

"Bannakaffalatta, you go next," the Doctor said.

The small red alien nodded. "Bannakaffalatta, small." He started moving across the beam and it shifted dangerously.

"Slowly!" The Doctor warned. I jumped as the Host began pounding on the door.

"They've found us!" Mr. Copper gasped.

"Astrid, get across right now," the Doctor ordered.

"What about you?" Astrid asked worriedly.

"Just do it. Go on," the Doctor told her. "Mr. Copper, we can't wait. Don't argue." Mr. Copper nodded and started across after Astrid. He turned to me.

"I'm not leaving you," I stated firmly.

"I'll be right behind you," he assured me. "I need to stay back and make sure Foon goes across." I set my jaw, knowing there was no arguing with him. I grabbed his lapels and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

"You'd better be right behind me," I warned. I turned and began carefully making my way across the beam. I tried my best to ignore the sheer drop on either side.

"Doctor! The door's locked!" Rickston shouted from the other side.

' _Crap!_ ' I thought.

"Doctor, I can't open the door. We need the whirring key thing of yours!"

"I can't leave her!" The Doctor protested.

"She'll get us all killed if we can't get out!" Rickston shot back angrily. I glanced back at the Doctor and we locked eyes. As much as we hated to admit it, Rickston was right. We needed to get out and we needed the Doctor's sonic screwdriver to unlock the door. I would have told the Doctor to toss his sonic to me so I could take it, but I didn't want to risk dropping it. He turned back to Foon.

"Mrs. Van Hoff, I am coming back for you, all right?" The Doctor told her. Foon nodded, more tears slipping down her cheeks. He began making his way across the beam, causing the metal to creak under the extra weight.

"Too many people!" Bannakaffalatta shouted.

"Oi! Don't get spiky with me! Keep going!" The Doctor snapped.

"It's gonna fall!" Astrid panicked.

"It's just settling! Keep going!" Suddenly, we all became aware of how quiet it had become.

"They've stopped," Astrid said.

"Gone away?" Bannakaffalatta wondered.

I frowned. "But that doesn't make sense. Why would they just give up?"

"Never mind that. Keep coming!" Rickston shouted.

"Where have they gone? Where are the Host?" The Doctor wondered.

"I'm afraid... we forgot the tradition of Christmas that angels have wings!" Mr. Copper exclaimed, looking up and pointing. We all looked up and saw Host gliding down and encircling.

" **Information: kill** ," the Hosts declared, reaching for their halos.

"Arm yourselves! All of you!" The Doctor shouted. I glanced around and grabbed a metal pole. I raised it just in time to deflect a halo. All around me, everyone was swinging their weapons, doing their best to defend themselves from the deadly halos. The Doctor suddenly cried out in pain as a halo grazed his arm. The next moment, another halo grazed Mr. Copper's side. I ducked as a halo flew over my head, swinging my pole as it came back around.

Astrid collapsed to her knees. "I can't," she cried.

"Bannakaffalatta stop!" Bannakaffalatta declared, throwing down his own pole. "Bannakaffalatta proud! Bannakaffalatta, cyborg!" The little red alien lifted his shirt, discharging a wave of energy and short circuiting all the Hosts.

"Electromagnetic pulse took out the robotics. Oh, Bannakaffalatta, that was brilliant!" The Doctor complimented. The red alien toppled over and Astrid hurried over to him.

"He's used all his power!" Astrid exclaimed.

"Did good?" Bannakaffalatta asked.

Astrid nodded. "You saved our lives."

"Bannakaffalatta happy."

"We can recharge you, get you to a power point and just plug you in!" Astrid said hopefully.

Bannakaffalatta shook his head. "Too late."

"No, but... you gotta get me that drink, remember?" Astrid reminded him, smiling tearfully.

The little red alien smiled. "Pretty girl." He closed his eyes. Astrid sniffled and went to button his shirt.

"I'm sorry. Forgive me," Mr. Copper apologized, reaching for Bannakaffalatta's power source.

Astrid tried to brush him off. "Leave him alone."

"It's the EMP transmitter. He-he'd want us to use it," Mr. Copper told her, removing the device. "I used to sell these things. They'd always give me a bed for the night in the cyborg caravans. They're good people. But if we can recharge it, we can reuse it as a weapon against the rest of the Host. Bannakaffalatta might have saved us all."

"Do you think?" Rickston snapped. "Try telling him that." He pointed to one of the Hosts that had landed on the beam behind the Doctor. We all looked to see the Host was moving.

" **Information: reboot** ," the Host said.

"Use the EMP!" Rickston shouted.

"It's dead!" Mr. Copper informed him helplessly.

"Doctor!" I shouted in panic as the Host moved closer.

"No, no, no. Hold on," the Doctor said, attempting to stop the Host as it reached for its halo. "Override loophole security protocol... Ten! 666! Oh. 21, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Um, I dunno, 42! Uh, one!"

The Host stopped. " **Information: state request.** "

The Doctor blinked, obviously not having expected that to work. "Good... right. You've been ordered to kill the survivors, but why?" He asked.

" **Information: no witnesses.** "

"But this ship's gonna fall on the Earth and kill everyone," the Doctor pointed out. "The human race have nothing to do with the Titanic so that contravenes your orders, yes?"

" **Information: incorrect.** "

"But why do you want to destroy the Earth?"

" **Information: it is the plan.** "

"What plan?"

" **Information: protocol grants you only three questions. These three questions have been used.** "

"Well, you could have warned me," the Doctor said.

" **Information: now you will die.** "

My eyes widened as the Host prepared to strike the Doctor with its halo. "Doctor!" Suddenly, a lasso was thrown over its head.

"You're coming with me," Foon declared.

"No, Foon, don't!" I cried, but it was too late. She closed her eyes and jumped over the side, pulling the Host with her.

"Nooooo!" The Doctor yelled. I watched in horrified silence as Foon fell. So many people had died already. How many more would die before we got out of this? I met the Doctor's gaze and I could tell he was thinking the same thing. He set his jaw in determination. "No more." We all made it out of the engines and wound up in another set of maintenance halls and the Doctor immediately began dishing out instructions. "Right. Get up to Reception One. Once you're there, Mr. Copper. You've got staff access to the computer. Try and find a way of transmitting an SOS. Astrid, you're in charge of this." He passed her the EMP. "Once it's powered up, it'll take out Hosts within fifty yards but then it needs sixty seconds to recharge. Got it? Rickston, take this." He passed Rickston his sonic screwdriver. "I've preset it. Just hold down that button. It'll open doors. Do not lose it! You got that? Now go and open the next door. Go on! Go!"

"All right!" Rickston shouted, hurrying to obey. I glanced around and grinned when I spotted a First Aid kit. I grabbed it and walked over to Mr. Copper.

"Here we go," I said, kneeling in front of him and opening the kit. "We can go ahead and clean that head wound. We need you at top performance." As I cleaned Mr. Copper's head wound, Astrid lead the Doctor to the power point under the comms. Once done there, the Doctor moved to the comms.

"Mr. Frame, you still with us?" The Doctor asked into the comms.

" **It's the engines, sir. Final phase. There's nothing more I can do. We've got only eight minutes left!** " Frame announced, panic evident in his tone.

"Don't worry, I'll get there," the Doctor assured him.

" **The bridge is sealed off!** "

"Yeah, yeah, working on it. I'll get there, Mr. Frame, somehow." The Doctor glanced down at Astrid who had finished charging the EMP. "All charged up? Mr. Copper, look after her. Astrid, look after him. Rickston, um... look after yourself. Wonder, look after all of them. And I'll see you again, promise."

"Wait!" I protested, grabbing his arm. "I'm not going to let you go to Deck 31 all by yourself!"

"Wonder, please, you have to stay here," the Doctor told me, placing his hands on my shoulders. "We don't have time to argue."

I gazed at him and knew immediately I wouldn't be able to change his mind. "Fine," I huffed. I reached up and tugged him down for a passionate kiss. "You better come back alive."

"I will," my husband assured me. He captured my lips in another kiss and ran off. I turned back to the group. "Right then. Once more onto the breech!" I lead the group through the corridors and stopped at a locked door. I gestured to the locked door. "Rickston, if you please." Rickston used the sonic and walked through the door. He immediately moved out of the way as we came upon more Hosts.

"Do it!" Rickston shouted. Astrid stepped forward and used the EMP and the Hosts collapsed. Mr. Copper, Rickston, and Astrid cheered. We kept moving at finally found Reception. Astrid once again used the EMP to take out the Hosts.

"Right, Rickston, seal the doors and secure the room," I ordered. "Astrid, Mr. Copper, keep an eye on the Hosts. I need to check the computer and send an SOS." Everyone moved to obey my orders. I tried the computer, but it was still down. I slammed a fist on the keys in frustration.

"No luck?" Astrid asked.

I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair. "No." I noticed the teleport bracelets. "But I have an idea." I ran the comms. "Bridge, this is Reception!"

" **Who's there?** " Frame asked.

"Wonder, the Doctor's wife," I replied. "Mr. Frame, can you divert power to the teleport system?"

" **No way. I'm using everything I got to keep the engines running** ," Frame protested.

"Mr. Frame, please. I just need to be able to Deck 31."

" **And I'm telling you no** ," Frame insisted.

"Mr. Frame...I'm doing this for my husband," I pleaded. "Please, he's gone down there on his own and I don't care if he told me to stay behind. He's my husband and the father to my son. He's always doing everything he can to help everyone, now it's my turn to help him."

" **...Giving you power.** " I grinned and grabbed a bracelet. Astrid came over and grabbed one too.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"Coming with you," Astrid replied.

"Astrid…"

"I want to help, please." I sighed and nodded.

"Mr. Copper, we're gonna find him," I said.

"Good luck," Mr. Copper told us.

Astrid and I arrived on Deck 31. I could hear the Doctor and another man talking. We snuck around some rubble and peeked our heads around. I spotted the Doctor, a few Hosts, and a machine which looked like some kind of life support system with the head of Max Capricorn inside.

"This interview is terminated," Capricorn announced, rolling forward.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" The Doctor protested, hurrying to get in front of Capricorn. "Hold on! Hold on! Hold on! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! I can work it out. It's like a task. I'm your apprentice. Just watch me. So... Business is failing and you wreck the ship so that makes things even worse. Oh yes! No. Yes. The business isn't failing, it's failed. Past tense." I smiled proudly. I always loved watching him work things out.

"My own board voted me out. Stabbed me in the back," Capricorn said.

"If you had a back," The Doctor replied and I had to clamp a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. Astrid and I moved closer, careful not to be seen. "So...You scupper the ship, wipe out any survivors in case anyone's rumbled you and the board find their shares halved in value. Oh, but that's not enough. No, 'cause if a Max Capricorn ship hits the Earth, it destroys an entire planet. Outrage back home. Scandal! The business is wiped out."

Capricorn grinned devilishly. "And... the whole board thrown in jail for mass murder."

"While you sit there, safe inside the impact chamber," the Doctor added, glaring at Capricorn.

"I have men waiting to retrieve me from the ruins and enough off-world accounts to retire me to the beaches of Pentaxico Two where the ladies, so I'm told, are very fond of... metal," Capricorn told him, grinning.

"So that's the plan," the Doctor said indignantly. "A retirement plan. 2000 on this ship, 6 billion underneath us, all of them slaughtered. And why? Because Max Capricorn is a loser."

Capricorn glared at the Doctor. "I never lose."

"You can't even sink the Titanic," the Time Lord pointed out.

Capricorn smirked. "Oh, but I can, Doctor. I can cancel the engines from here." Suddenly, an alarm sounded.

"You can't do this!" The Doctor shouted in protest.

"Host, hold him." Two Host grabbed the Doctor's arms. I knew I had to do something. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see Astrid pointing to a forklift. I grinned and nodded. We both hurried over and climbed in.

"Not so clever now, Doctor. A shame we couldn't work together. You're rather good. All that banter yet not a word wasted," Capricorn complimented. "Time for me to retire. The Titanic is falling. The sky will burn. Let the Christmas inferno commence. Oh! Oh, Host! Kill him." One of the Hosts not holding the Doctor removed his halo.

"Mr. Capricorn!" Astrid shouted, announcing our presence. "I resign." I started the forklift and Astrid drove it towards Capricorn.

"Wonder, Astrid, don't!" The Doctor yelled. Astrid lifted the front of Capricorn's life support just enough so the tires had no purchase. Unfortunately, his rear tires had just enough traction to keep us from moving. One of the Hosts threw its halo at Astrid and I. I ducked and Astrid let out a startled scream. "He's cut the brake line!"

Astrid looked at me. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Astrid, what are you-" I didn't get a chance to finish as she shoved me off the forklift, raised the fork higher, lifting Capricorn completely off the ground, and stepped on the gas.

"Astrid!" The Doctor and I shouted. I scrambled to my feet and bolted after her. I managed to grab her hand just before the forklift went over the edge. Unfortunately, the sudden extra weight pulled me to the ground, my right arm dangling over the edge as Astrid hung on for dear life.

"I've got you!" I told Astrid through gritted teeth.

The Doctor slid the ground beside me. "Hold on!"

"I had no intention of letting go," Astrid replied, her eyes wide with fear. "Do you think you could help me up?" The Doctor nodded and reached down and grabbed Astrid's other hand and together, we pulled her up. "Thanks!" She breathed.

"No problem," I said. We flinched as an explosion went off behind us. "Now I believe we have a crashing Titanic to save."

"Right!" The Doctor said. He snapped his fingers and the Hosts stepped forward, two grabbing his arms and another two grabbing Astrid and I. We flew upward, gaining speed as we went. As we neared the ceiling, the Hosts raised their arms and broke through into the bridge. Frame let out a startled cry as the Host broke through.

" **Deadlock broken,** " a computer announced.

"Ah, Midshipman Frame at last!" The Doctor greeted cheerfully as he climbed through the broken floor boards.

"Hello!" I said, helping Astrid up.

"Uh, but... but the Host!" Frame warned, staring at the Host worriedly.

"Ah, don't worry," I assured him. "With their controller dead, they divert to the next highest authority and that just so happens to be my husband." I noticed Frame had a hand pressed to his side and blood was trickling over his fingers and I made a mental note to take care of that later. The Doctor hurried over to the controls.

"There's nothing we can do," Frame protested. "There's no power. The ship's gonna fall."

" **Titanic falling.** "

"Not if we can help it!" I announced.

The Doctor took the wheel. "What's your first name?"

"Alonzo," Frame answered.

"You're kidding me," the Doctor said, looking surprised.

"Alonzo, I think you just made his day!" I laughed.

Alonzo game me a puzzled look. "What?"

"That's something else I've always wanted to say. Allons-y Alonzo!" The Doctor shouted happily. The ship lurched and headed straight towards Earth's atmosphere. "Whoa!" He struggled to hold the wheel while Astrid, Alonzo, and I braced ourselves against the back wall. An alarm sounded and I crawled to the console to check. The computer screen showed the impact zone.

"We're going to crash somewhere in London," I announced. "Looks like, ah crud!"

"What is it?" The Doctor asked.

"Impact zone is Buckingham Palace!"

The Doctor groaned. "Pass me the phone!" I did. "Hello, yes, um... could you get me Buckingham Palace? Listen to me! Security Code 771! Now get out of there!" I watched with growing apprehension as the Titanic burned through the atmosphere and drew closer to the ground.

" **Engine active. Engine active.** " The Doctor pulled back hard on the wheel and I had to grab hold of the console to keep from toppling back. We drew closer and closer to the ground and for a terrifying moment, I thought we would crash. Thankfully, the ship finally pulled up, just barely missing Buckingham Palace. I let out a breathless laugh, hardly believing our luck.

"You did it!" Astrid exclaimed happily. Alonzo got to his feet and rang a bell on the wall, grinning in relief.

"Whoo-hoo-hoo!" The Doctor cried excitedly. I chuckled and shook my head and turned to Alonzo.

"Might I have a look at that?" I asked gesturing to his wound.

Once the Doctor got the Titanic back into orbit, he came over and sat next to me. "Used the heat of re-entry to fire up the secondary storm drive," he explained to Astrid and Alonzo, who was nursing his newly bandaged wound. "Unsinkable, that's me."

"We made it," Alonzo said.

"Not all of us," I said sadly, thinking about Foon and Morvin.

"We should get back to Reception to check on the others," Astrid suggested. We agreed.

Back in Reception, we found Mr. Copper and Rickston alive and well. Alonzo went over to the comms to check the engines.

"Alright you two?" I asked as Astrid, the Doctor, and I approached.

"Well, we're alive, so that's something," Mr. Copper said.

"The engines have stabilized," Alonzo announced as he walked back over. "We're holding steady till we get help and I've sent the SOS. A rescue ship should be here within twenty minutes. And they're digging out the records of Max Capricorn. It should be quite a story."

"They'll want to talk to all of us, I suppose," Mr. Copper said nervously.

Alonzo nodded. "I'd have thought so, yeah."

"I think, uh, one or two inconvenient truths might come to light," Mr. Copper commented to the Doctor, Astrid, and I. "Still, it's my own fault, and then years in jail is better than dying."

Rickston walked over. "Doctor... I never said... thank you." He hugged the Doctor, who simply stood there, not entirely sure what to do. "The funny thing is... I said Max Capricorn was falling apart. Just before the crash, I... sold all my shares, transferred them to his rivals. It's made me rich. What do you think of that?" I raised my brows in shock. He was seriously still thinking about money after everything that just happened? Rickston's phone rang. "Salvain? Those shares, I want them triple-bonded and locked."

"Of all the people to survive, he's not the one you would have chosen, is he?" Mr. Copper asked quietly. "But if you could choose, Doctor, if you decide who lives and who dies…" He shrugged. "That would make you a monster." I smiled as the old man's wise words.

"Mr. Copper…" The Doctor said, reaching behind him and taking a couple teleport bracelets. "I think you deserve one of these." Mr. Copper smiled as he took the bracelet.

"Care to join us, Astrid?" I asked, holding up another bracelet. Astrid grinned and took hers. Alonzo stared at us for a moment, before saluting.

"So, Great Britain is part of, uh, "Europee" and just across the British Channel you've got Great France and Great Germany," Mr. Copper said as the four of us walked to the TARDIS.

"No, no, it's just... it's just France and Germany. Only Britain is great," the Doctor corrected.

"Oh, and they're all at war with the continent of Ham-erica?"

"No, well... not yet, uh... could argue that one," the Doctor mumbled. I grinned as we arrived at the familiar blue box. "There she is." He patted the box fondly. "Survive anything."

"I'll meet you inside, Doctor," I told my husband. "I'm going to check up on Tyler." I walked over to Mr. Copper. "Take care of yourself." I kissed his cheek. I turned to Astrid. "See you in a few minutes." I opened the TARDIS doors and stopped just inside, smiling as I gazed around the console room I was so fond of. I quickly hurried down the hall to Tyler's room and carefully opened the door. I peeked my head in and saw Tyler sleeping soundly, completely unaware of what had happened the last couple hours. I smiled softly and closed the door, sending a mental thank you to the sentient time machine. Hearing my thoughts the TARDIS hummed happily. I wandered back to the console room just in time to see the Doctor close the door behind him. My brows furrowed in confusion as I noticed the lack of a blonde woman."Where's Astrid?" I asked.

"She decided to stay behind and look after Mr. Copper," he replied, a sullen look on his face.

"Oh." I was a bit disappointed. I had rather liked Astrid and I knew the Doctor had too. She would have made a fine traveling companion.

"Anyway, how's Tyler?"

"Still asleep."

The Doctor smiled lightly. "I told you the TARDIS would take care of him."

I chuckled. "I never doubted it." He walked up to the console and pulled a lever, sending us into the Time Vortex.

"Come on," he said, holding out a hand to me. "We need to get that leg taken care of."

"Fine, but you have to let me tend to your arm," I told him.

"Deal," he replied as I took his hand. I let out a surprised yelp when he tugged me closer and scooped me up in his arms, carrying me down the hall to the med bay.

* * *

 **Once again, I'm so sorry for taking so long. Please leave a review. Till next time!  
**


	46. Author's note

**I'm really sorry, but yet again, not a chapter. I didn't have the motivation to work on the chapter over Thanksgiving and Christmas break like I had hoped. I have no intention of abandoning this story, but I think I need to just take a break until I'm motivated again. My obsessions have switched fandoms for the time being. I don't want to work on the story when I don't have the motivation, it just wouldn't turn out as well.**

 **I've also had a few complaints about Wonder not adding much if anything to the story. I just wanted to let you know that I have heard your complaints and I've realized you make good points. This story was my first, so I was learning how to write a good story, still am. When I get the chance and motivation, I will update earlier chapters to hopefully give Wonder more of a voice. I want to thank all my readers for your reviews and constructive criticism.  
**


End file.
